Kansas Commerce has awarded 16 nonprofit organizations around the state Community Service Tax Credits (CSP). ). Since 1994, CSP has helped nonprofit organizations undertake major capital fund-raising drives for several different projects. Read on...

Wichita is the selected site of the second annual Kansas Manufacturing Summit, a forum providing those in the manufacturing sector the opportunity to network, learn about business match options, and gain insight into workforce development. Read on...

Gov. Jeff Colyer, today joined leaders from Shamrock Trading Corp. in Overland Park to announce a major expansion, which will create over 1,000 new jobs at an average wage of approximately $56K. Read on...

Kansas Commerce and the Greater Wichita Partnership will lead a delegation of Kansan leaders to the Farnborough International Airshow July 16 – 20 in England to promote Kansas and the greater Wichita region – known as the “Air Capital of the World” Read on...

For the 11th time, the Kansas Department of Commerce has been recognized by Area Development magazine with a Silver Shovel award in recognition of the agency's economic development achievements. Read on...

Governor Jeff Colyer and Mayor Michael Boehm today joined Kiewit to officially break ground on a new campus at the Lenexa City Center. The roughly $100 million project includes a new six-story building along with renovations to the existing property. Read on...

Kubota Tractor Corporation today announced the completion of a 200-acre land purchase within Phase II of Logistics Park Kansas City in Edgerton, making the company the first major tenant for the industrial park. Read on...

The Kansas Department of Commerce Office of Minority and Women Business Development is accepting nominations for Kansas minority and/or women-owned businesses, advocates, young entrepreneurs, and corporations. Read on...

Governor Jeff Colyer, M.D. has issued an official Governor’s proclamation declaring June 2018 as Business Appreciation Month in recognition of the vital role businesses of all sizes play in strengthening the Kansas economy. Read on...

Vituity, a leading physician-owned healthcare delivery organization, announced today it has opened a new system support center in Leawood, Kan. in an effort to grow and transform the practice, delivery and business of healthcare in the Kansas City area. Read on...

The Governor’s Exporter of the Year award is presented annually to a single Kansas company in recognition of its excellent performance in international trade and its outstanding international marketing. This year marks the award's 30th anniversary. Read on...

The Kansas Department of Commerce is announcing several new leadership changes, including Director of Workforce Innovation, Director of Business and Community Development, Director of Marketing and Communications, and Chief Fiscal Officer. Read on...

The U.S. Department of Treasury has officially certified Governor Jeff Colyer’s nomination of 74 census tracts to be designated as Qualified Opportunity Zones and has designated those tracts as such. Read on...

Public Restroom Company, a family-owned and operated small business who manufactures restrooms for outdoor parks and ships them to locations across the United States, has announced it will move into a new Hutchinson, Kansas facility. Read on...

2018 marks the 30th anniversary of the Governor’s Exporter of the Year award, presented annually to a single Kansas company in recognition of its excellent performance in international trade and outstanding international marketing. Read on...

Flow International Corporation, a Shape Technologies Group (SHAPE) company, has announced it is relocating its manufacturing and operations functions from Kent, Washington to its KMT Waterjet plant in Baxter Springs, Kansas. Read on...

ServiceMaster DSI will relocate the headquarters for the company’s national large loss division, ServiceMaster Recovery Management (SRM), to Shawnee in April 2018. It will also be the regional headquarters for DSI which will serve Missouri and Kansas. Read on...

The Kansas Department of Commerce is now accepting proposals from communities to designate eligible low-income census tracts as Kansas Opportunity Zones under the new Federal Opportunity Zones program. Read on...

The Kansas Department of Commerce is now accepting nominations for Business Appreciation Month awards, affording the opportunity for individuals and organizations to nominate Kansas businesses that grow jobs and support their local communities. Read on...

This editorial by Gov. Sam Brownback regarding Hawker Beechcraft and the U.S. Air Force’s procurement competition for 20 light-support aircraft for the Afghan air force was published April 17 in Roll Call. Read on...

Gov. Sam Brownback praised the opening of the International Animal Health and Food Safety Institute on the Kansas State University Olathe Innovation Campus as a new chapter in the efforts to make Kansas a global center for research. Read on...

Gov. Sam Brownback will hold his first Economic Summit focused on the aviation industry on April 25 in Wichita. This major summit will bring together more than 160 representatives from the aviation manufacturing and aerospace industries. Read on...

The Kansas Department of Commerce will again designate June as Kansas Business Appreciation Month and will accept nominations through 5 p.m., April 1. The awards serve as a tribute to businesses for their contributions to the state. Read on...

The Kansas Main Street Program has scheduled two workshops for those interested in learning more about this unique program. Kansas Main Street encourages the development and revitalization of downtown commercial districts in communities across Kansas. Read on...

Previous Successes

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1A Auto, an after-market direct-to-consumer internet retailer of auto parts, will lease 52,000 sq. ft. New Century Air Center near Gardner, Kan. They will invest $1.9 million and create approximately 13 new jobs. The company selected the Kansas City region due to an existing UPS hub and our region's central U.S. location. 1A Auto is a 2nd-generation, family-owned business, located in Pepperell, Mass. For more than 50 years, the family has been installing and using the same high-quality auto parts found on its website. 1A Auto became an online retailer in 1999, and prides itself on its fast turn-around, customer service excellence and knowledge to help its customers with their auto parts projects. A third shift and 945 new jobs coming to GM Fairfax plant in KCK, An unprecedented third shift and 945 new jobs are coming to General Motors Fairfax assembly plant in January, providing an unusually large boost to Kansas City s economy. The third shift will come on top of 375 jobs that Fairfax added thanks to its production of the Buick LaCrosse this summer. The shift will mean Fairfax will produce all Malibu, LaCrosse and Aura models for GM. The plant s total employment will climb from 2,700 to more than 3,600 early next year.

Ace Mortgage Funding, of Indianapolis, Indiana is opening a regional, mortgage lending and processing office in Overland Park, Kansas. The company will create 40 jobs and invest $2.1 million

Advanced Call Center Technologies (ACCT), a provider of contact center and back office support services will locate a new customer service operation in Junction City. ACCT plans to hire more than 600 workers in Junction City during the next five years. ACCT currently employs more than 4,000 people across five states. The company is expanding due to its need for an immediate solution to provide services to an established clientele. ACCT provides customer relationship solutions for clients in the financial services, communications and technology industries.

Aegis Fire Protection, LLC, has chosen to retain its location in Kansas and expand operations to Olathe. The company is a full service WBE Fire Protection and Fire Detection Company. Aegis will manufacturer and design sprinkler systems at the Olathe facility as well as oversee system installation. The company plans on hiring 25 new full time positions at a new 15,000 sq ft facility. The Kansas Department of Commerce worked with Aegis Fire Protection to retain their company in Kansas.

Affiliated Computer Services, based in Haskell, Texas, is locating a $1.5 million information technology outsourcing operation in Overland Park, Kansas. The facility will have 78 employees.

AirMass LLC, is a Lenexa, KS-based software developer has announced plans on expanding their business. The company makes PropertyTrak, a software platform facilities managers use to oversee repairs and maintenance. PropertyTrak, offered as a cloud computing application, includes a number of modules to allow for customization, alerting managers of inspections and scheduled maintenance, letting employees alert maintenance electronically, and showing building owners energy consumption. It also lets users rate repairs and other actions, providing managers hard performance data. The company plans on adding an additional 77 jobs over the next five years.

Alexander Open Systems (AOS) will expand its corporate headquarters in Overland Park. AOS is a leading technology consultant in the Midwest. Located in Southcreek Office Park, AOS will move into a larger 32,000-square- foot space within Southcreek. The company is retrofitting the space and will add a 4,200-square-foot fitness center for employees. Currently, AOS has 122 employees in their Overland Park office and plans to add 35 employees over the next five years. Established in 1992, AOS has expanded into nine states across the Midwest. The company provides technology solutions across the government, education, legal, healthcare, professional services, engineering, manufacturing, energy, and finance sectors. It has strong partnerships with Cisco, EMC, Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, VMware, and many others in the technology industry. AOS is the leading consultative technology partner in the Midwest. It specializes in consulting, designing, implementing and supporting local, wide area and wireless networking, communication and collaboration, data center, physical and data security.. AOS is the number one reseller of Cisco products in the Midwest, number one seller of VMware in the Midwest, and a Microsoft Gold Partner.

AlixaRx opened a new 11,400-square-foot fulfillment center yesterday in Lenexa. The company, which offers pharmaceutical services to post-acute health care facilities, plans to create 88 new jobs in Lenexa during the next five years. AlixaRx provides nationwide pharmacy services and on-site medication dispensing, and employs board-certified, geriatric-specialty clinical pharmacists. The Lenexa fulfillment center will service the needs of senior living centers in Kansas.

AlixaRx, LLC is locating a new pharmacy hub operation in Lenexa, Kansas that will serve Golden Living Centers in the Mid-West. The company plans to have 88 jobs at this location and invest almost $3.0 million in the facility. Alixa Rx features the latest in pharmacy innovations and technologies, including remote automated dispensing technology.

All American Pet Company, Inc. announced their new operational headquarters, manufacturing, and warehouse facility in Shawnee, Kansas. They offer multiple products to dog owners, including: Pawitizer- the first alcohol free antibacterial “cleanser” for dogs, Grrr-nola- the first heart-healthy dry kibble and food bar with amino acids, and a variety of protein food bars and breakfast cereals for dogs. All American Pet Branded Products are endorsed and recommended by veterinarians. The animal health and wellness company plans to add more than 80 new employees over the next five years.

Allen Foods, will build a new manufacturing facility in Topeka, Kansas on a 20-acre site in the Central Crossing Commerce Park in south Topeka. The company, which produces fresh baked goods, will build a state of the art commercial bakery and create in excess of 50 new jobs in the area. The company’s capital investment in Topeka will exceed $30 million. Allen Foods is part of the Bimbo [pronounced BEEMbo] Bakeries USA family of companies, a leading commercial baker in the United States and part of the world leader in the baking industry, Grupo Bimbo. The company manufactures baked goods for all eating occasions and the Topeka facility will focus providing fresh, high quality bread products for the local market.

Alliance Data Systems has announced that it plans to expand and create 530 new jobs in Lenexa. The company, which provides data-driven marketing and loyalty solutions, anticipates a capital investment of more than $17 million as part of its expansion. Alliance Data creates and deploys customized solutions to enhance its customers' marketing experience. The company helps its clients create and increase customer loyalty through solutions that engage millions of customers each day across multiple touch points using traditional, digital, mobile and emerging technologies. A S&P 500 company, Alliance Data and its three businesses employ approximately 12,000 associates at more than 180 locations worldwide.

AMC Theatres (AMC), a leading theatrical exhibition and entertainment company, announced today the location of its new company world headquarters at the Park Place development in Leawood. AMC's world headquarters will be the largest office tenant for Park Place, a 1.2 million square-foot mixed-use project with an impressive mix of national and local retail and restaurant tenants, in addition to approximately 180 planned luxury residences. AMC will be housed in an architecturally significant office building that will be home to the company's approximately 450 associates, contractors and subcontractors. AMC Entertainment Inc. delivers distinctive and affordable movie-going experiences in 360 theatres with 5,128 screens across the United States and Canada. The company operates 24 of the 50 highest grossing theatres in the country, including the top three.

American International Group Inc. (AIG) held a ribbon cutting and grand opening of its expansion in Olathe, which will bring 300 new 300 new jobs to Kansas by the end of 2015. AIG's expanded facility will provide claims and policy servicing operations in the U.S. and around the globe. The company currently employs more than 600 workers at its offices in Olathe. AIG's expansion in Olathe is supported by its work with KU, which includes a strong research partnership. The research partnership originated in the School of Business and has expanded through a university wide Master Research Agreement. In addition, AIG has partnered with the School of Business to provide leadership training to AIG's managers. The collaboration also has provided students, faculty and staff with opportunities to learn valuable information from AIG executives. Furthermore, as a hiring partner, AIG provides new career opportunities for the university's students and alumni. American International Group Inc. (AIG) is a leading international insurance organization serving customer in more than 130 countries. AIG companies serve commercial, institutional and individual customers through an extensive worldwide property-casualty network. In addition, AIG companies are leading providers of life insurance and retirement services in the United States.

ANOxA, a startup veterinary research company working to reduce the severity of a disorder that afflicts performance horses, is relocating its corporate headquarters and operations to Lawrence from New York. ANOxA Corp. announced Tuesday morning that it would bring its main office along with its research and development operations to town from West Seneca, N.Y. “Considering the Kansas City area’s concentration of animal health companies, universities excelling in veterinary research and potential animal health collaborators, we find this environment very appealing,” said Herman Haenert, president of ANOxA, in a statement. “We know this is where we need to be.” The company is expected to have the Lawrence operation up and running within two months in Lawrence. Haenert and two other employees will be based in Lawrence, and the company plans to hire another seven employees within five years. ANOxA will receive $300,000 from the Kansas Bioscience Authority.

Apollo Surgical Group, LLC announced plans to open sales office locations in both Lenexa and Wichita, KS. Apollo Surgical Group, LLC is a provider of orthopedic supplies to the medical industry. Both new sales office locations will create 38 net new jobs over the next five years.

Apria Healthcare, America's leading provider of integrated home healthcare products and services, is establishing a regional customer service center in Overland Park. The company will consolidate billing and other support functions at the new facility, which will include 150 positions from the company’s nearby Lenexa operation plus 400 new jobs. Apria is leasing space in the Sprint headquarters complex and will begin operations in August, 2009.

Apria Healthcare, America's leading provider of integrated home healthcare products and services, is expanding their customer support service center in Overland Park. The company will relocate 300 positions from other facilities in the U.S. over the next three years and add these workers to the 550 already announced in 2009. The company will take additional space in the Sprint Center.

Archer Foundation, will locate its headquarters and business incubator in Leawood's Park Place development in partnership with Clockword Architecture Design and Spaces, Inc. The Archer Foundation and its affiliate Archer Capital will develop a state of the art facility that fosters community service, educational opportunities and entrepreneurial achievement in Kansas. The Foundation's new office space will house a core team of volunteers and staff focused on advancing community service programs, connecting students with educational opportunities, technology and promoting women's initiatives.

Archer Technologies has announced their decision to expand operations in Overland Park, KS. Archer Technologies is a computer program and software company focused on governance, risk and compliance programs for a variety of clients. The company plans to add 175 net new jobs over the next five years and will invest over $6 million towards the expansion of their facilities.

Argenta, a New Zealand-based provider of drug development services and contract product manufacturing for the animal health industry, will locate a new lab facility and office in Kansas. The Company will locate in the Bioscience and Technology Business Center (BTBC) in Lawrence, creating 27 new jobs and investing $500,000 in laboratory equipment. In addition, AlcheraBio, a leading clinical research support provider that is wholly owned by Argenta, will be creating 11 jobs in Kansas City, Kan., locating in the Heartland House at 1901 Olathe Blvd.

Arrow Fabricare Services, will be locating a new operation in downtown Kansas City, KS at 1333 Washington Blvd. The new facility will create 17 new jobs for Kansas. Arrow Fabricare Services has been serving customers nationwide since 1914 and specialize in the cleaning of garments, leather suede and home goods. The Kansas City, Kansas location will focus on fire and water damage restoration of carpet, drapes and other home goods. Additionally, Arrow Fabricare Services will provide French laundry services to customers out of their new location. The Kansas Department of Commerce supported Wyandotte Economic Development Council in its efforts to locate this new business to Kansas.

Arthropod-Borne Animal Disease Research Laboratory, (ABADRL) will relocate from Laramie, Wyoming to Manhattan, Kansas. This new lab will further cement Kansas as a global leader for animal health research.” ABADRL is a federal research lab and is relocating in order to fully achieve its research mandate. The US Federal Government has allocated $1.5 million for relocation costs to Kansas. This will bring 31 new jobs to Kansas and $2.25 million in new capital investment.

Ascension Insurance Inc. will relocate its headquarters to Overland Park. A specialized insurance brokerage firm, Ascension plans to create 20 new jobs in Kansas during the next five years. The company also anticipates a capital investment of approximately $3.4 million at its new headquarters. Ascension Insurance offers property and casualty, employee benefits and risk management services to privately-owned and small and mid-cap publicly traded businesses. Ascension's new headquarters will be located at 32 Corporate Woods, Suite 700, 9225 Indian Creek Parkway in Overland Park.

Assured Vehicle Protection Inc., which organizes and manages dealer-owned reinsurance companies, will relocate to Overland Park. At its new facility, the company plans to add 13 new full-time jobs. In addition to the jobs created, the company anticipates a capital investment of $656,000 associated with the move.

Automotive Technology Services Inc., an automotive mobile application development company selected Overland Park for its headquarters, creating 26 high-paying executive jobs. ATS selected Overland Park after evaluating markets across the Midwest including Chicago and Minneapolis. The company has signed a lease for office space in Corporate Woods. Automotive Technology Services was founded to make the process of buying and selling cars easier. Through its mobile application AutoFlipr, ATS provides auto dealers new technology allowing for increased control, visibility and efficiency evaluation with all auto transactions.

AxelaCare Health Solutions, LLC recently announced the expansion of their Lenexa, Kansas Headquarters. AxelaCare Health Solutions, LLC is a home infusion therapy pharmacy providing high-tech infusion services including IVIG, TPN, and Anti-infective therapies. The headquarters location currently houses approximately 28 employees and the company plans on hiring an additional 30 net new jobs to accommodate for the company’s growth.

Babcock & Wilcox Power Generation Group Inc., has opened an Overland Park environmental services office, bringing dozens of jobs to the city. The office initially brings more than 40 jobs to Overland Park, three of which need to be filled, and could create 10 to 20 more during the next five years, said Mike Sedler, general manager for B&W’s precipitator business, which has four locations that he manages out of Overland Park.

BATS Global Markets (BATS) has announced that it has signed a 10-year lease renewal for its Lenexa global headquarters. The stock exchange employs 104 workers in Kansas and will bring more than 30 new jobs to the state during the next five years. BATS has been headquartered in Lenexa since September 2008 and occupies approximately 35,000 square fee in its building. The company also operates an office in London with 59 associates. The office is located in the heart of London's traditional financial center.

BATS Trading, Inc., will relocate their operations to Overland Park, Kansas. BATS is a market center built for the broker-dealer community with the mission of making markets better. The company was started in 2005 in a time when market innovation and technology leadership were at risk due to over consolidation in the ECN and Exchange industry. The company is primarily engaged in furnishing physical or electronic marketplaces for the purpose of facilitating the buying and selling of stocks, stock options, bonds or commodity contracts. They are a business to business company.

Berger Devine Yaeger, founded in 1973, will relocate their offices to Overland Park, KS, creating 90 net new jobs. BDY provides architectural, interiors, and planning design services including commercial and corporate facilities, multi-family housing, educational complexes, churches, retail centers, and sports and entertainment facilities. The company will lease a facility and invest over $6 million in capital investment towards their relocation.

Berkley Medical Management Solutions, a unit of W.R. Berkley Insurance group that specializes in workers’ compensation managed-care solutions, it will relocate operations to Corporate Woods Building 82 in Overland Park, Kan. The company is expected to create more than 25 full-time jobs. Berkley Medical Management Solutions uses data analytic tools to streamline and process medical data. The company collaborates with big data statisticians and experts in the medical field to help patients recover quickly and to ensure that their services are efficient.

BeautyBar.com (prestige beauty), Wag.com (pet products), YoYo.com (toys), Casa.com (home and houseware essentials) and Vine.com (green living), AfterSchool.com (kids' sports and activities) and Bookworm.com (children's books). Rapidly growing medical distribution company Suture Express announced that it will be expanding its operations to Lenexa and Overland Park. The company will be moving its distribution operations to the Meritex Lenexa Executive Park and will move its office staff to Overland Park. Suture Express started in Johnson County 14 years ago and moved to its current Lenexa location in 2004. The company is the nation’s leading specialty distributor of specialized surgical products. Its highly focused and differentiated service model enables healthcare providers to improve the quality of patient care by delivering them the right product at the right place and time at the lowest possible cost. The company has clients nationwide and has sales in the hundreds of millions annually.

BioTarget, has partnered with the University Of Kansas Cancer Center, Office of Therapeutic, Development, and Discovery for in vivo diagnostic preclinical studies of encapsulated biomaterials at the University of Kansas Lawrence Campus to identify and characterize cancer biomarkers for in vitro diagnostic applications. This is BioTarget's first operation in the Central U. S. The company will employ 2 employees in R & D facility, such as network engineers, support technicians and traffic operators and make an $500,000 capital investment into the State of Kansas.

Black & Veatch will relocated its Telecommunications and Special Projects professionals in Overland Park to the Overland Park Trade Center (OPTC) following building renovations being done by Occidental Management of Wichita. The move will consolidate some of the company's operations into a single complex. The move also accommodates continued growth projected for Black & Veatch. More than 700 Black & Veatch professionals will relocated from two Overland Park offices. In addition, the building has the potential to prove space for the company's expected job growth of more than 500 new jobs in Kansas during the next five years. Black & Veatch conducted extensive studies into the best solution for consolidating the professionals at a single site. Black & Veatch has a workforce of about 3,300 in the Kansas City metro area and a total workforce of more than 10,000 worldwide.

Black & Veatch, announced one of the largest real-estate transactions in the Kansas City region with an agreement to purchase, renovate and expand their headquarters Overland Park, the world headquarters for the area’s largest engineering, consulting and construction company. The company plans to add 250,000 sq. ft. of space and upgrade the existing space to meet LEED standards. With a potential total of 850,000 square-feet in the campus, the site could ultimately accommodate a total workforce of more than 3,400. The existing facility currently houses more than 2,300 Black & Veatch employees plus contractors and other affiliates.

Blackfin is a commercial and institutional building construction company that relocated its offices from Missouri to Kansas City, Kansas. The company expects to bring eight new jobs and approximately $400,000 in new capital investment to Kansas.

Bombardier Business Aircraft announced an expansion of Bombardier's Learjet site in Wichita. The growth of the site includes the expansion of the Bombardier Flight Test Center, the establishment of a Bombardier Center of Excellence of Engineering and Information Technology, new facilities for paint and production flight test as well as a new delivery center. The expansion will also help create 450 new jobs over the course of seven to 10 years.

BP Wind Energy plans to build a 419-megawatt wind farm in south central Kansas. Flat Ridge 2 wind farm will be in an area that covers Sumner, Kingman, Barber and Harper counties. BP's Flat Ridge 1 wind farm is in Harper and Kiowa counties. The company says the new wind farm represents an $800 million investment by BP. The wind farm is expected to employ 500 people during construction and 30 permanent employees once work is finished. BP plans to sell 75 percent of the power to Associated Electric Cooperative Inc. BP says the wind farm will be operational by 2012.

Brancato Event Service will move operations to Kansas City, Kan., and add 193 jobs. The company’s two affiliates – Brancato’s Catering Co. and All Seasons Party Rental – are included in the expansion and new job creation. Brancato purchased a 150,000-square-foot building in Kansas City, Kan. that will hold its corporate offices with additional space for the other two operations. The Brancato corporate offices will occupy 10,000 square feet of the new building and create 34 new jobs. Robinson’s Catering will fill 23,000 square feet and add 33 new jobs. The remaining space in the building goes to All Seasons, which will add 126 new jobs. The total capital investment for the project is $18 million.

Buchanan Technologies, an international IT professional service, consulting and outsourcing company, recently located a new office in Wichita, KS. Buchannan will employ 70 new service professionals to manage increased customer demand and invest 900k in the local economy. Their services include asset management, automated testing and call tracking. Buchannan Technologies is headquarter in Irvine, Texas and has offices in Bulgaria and Ontario, CA.

BuildMYMove, the country's first provider of instant, binding online moving quotes for full service interstate moves, announced plans to relocate its U.S. headquarters from Akron, Pa, to Overland Park, Kan., creating up to 50 new jobs in the state by the end of 2011 and an estimated 100-plus jobs over a five-year period. They will move into their new space in Kansas in March 2011.

Burlington Northern Santa Fe, will locate a new Positive Train Control operation to Lenexa, Kansas. This site will oversee the replacement of signals for railroad lines with more updated technology to improve safety and communication. The improved technology will allow trains to receive information about where it is located to safely travel and enforce compliance with train movements. The project will create up to 70 full-time positions and approximately $4.0 million in capital investment.

Bus & Coach International, based in Chino, California has selected Jennings in northwest Kansas as the location its new manufacturing and distribution location. The company will have 75 employees when at full operation and invest $1.45 million.

Bushnell Outdoor Products, Bushnell Outdoor Products has signed a lease for a 221,800-square-foot space in Olathe, where it will consolidate its area distribution facilities. The Overland Park-based company, which specializes in high-performance sports optics, leased the space in a 602,000-square-foot speculative industrial building at 22101 W. 167th St. The Department of Commerce offered a forgivable loan, workforce training, tax credits and sales tax exemptions to retain the Kansas company.

Cardinal Brush Corporation, a manufacturer of brushes and sweeping and scrubbing machines, has announced plans to expand their Olathe, Kansas operations.

CareCentrix, Inc., the nation’s leading provider of home health benefits management services, has chosen Overland Park for its newest regional care center. CareCentrix will employ 90 customer service, clinical and management personnel in its new center by February 2010, and anticipates having up to 150 personnel in place within two years. Growth in the company’s home care management business and emerging opportunities in the area of hospital-to-home transitional care are the driving forces behind its decision to open the center. CareCentrix chose Overland Park as the location for its newest center in large part because of the high caliber workforce in the community. CareCentrix will lease approximately 25,000 square feet on the Sprint-Nextel world headquarters campus.

Catalyst Artificial Lift LLC, a Gainesville, Texas-based manufacturer and wholesaler of oilfield reciprocating rod pumps, announced the purchase of a 150,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Iola, Kan. The expansion of Catalyst's Kansas operations will allow the company to grow from 22 existing positions in Allen County to 120 total employees during the next five years.

Central Bag Company, is moving its business from Kansas City, Missouri to the former Hallmark Select Products building. After renovations to the building are complete, the company will bring its 17 existing employees to Leavenworth this year with plans to increase that number to 75 over the next 5 years. Central Bag Company was established in 1929, and in 1989 became 100% employee owned. The company manufactures textile bags, as well as imports and distributes paper, burlap, cotton, polyethylene and woven polypropylene bags and other packaging products. Central Bag will manufacture bags locally as the company plans to increase its business. The Kansas Department of Commerce worked with the Leavenworth County Development Corporation to bring this business to Kansas.

CertainTeed Corporation will expand its manufacturing facility in Kansas City, Kansas by creating more than 70 new jobs at its Kansas City location during the next three years. The building materials company has begun the process of reengineering its K2 furnace and its related production lines at its Kansas City plant with subsequent production of fiberglass insulation products slated to begin during the second quarter of 2015. Headquartered in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, CertainTeed is a leading manufacturer of building materials including roofing, siding, trim, fence, railing, decking, insulation, gypsum and ceiling products. CertainTeed has approximately 6,000 employees and 65 facilities throughout the United States and Canada, and is a subsidiary of Sait-Gobain, the world's largest building materials company.

CertainTeed Corporations, has decided to consolidate and expand their vinyl siding extrusion operation in McPherson. The company had evaluated McPherson and a plant in Texas for continued operation. CertainTeed will retain 45 jobs in McPherson and add 76 new positions over the next year. New and transferred equipment from the Texas facility is valued at over $10,000,000.

Ceva Santé Animale, a global leader in the animal health industry, has selected Lenexa to maintain and expand their North American corporate location. The value of being located within the KC Animal Health Corridor was key to the company’s decision to stay in the region. Ceva will add 20 new corporate level positions consisting of HR, finance, IT, customer service, and legal, and retain 11 existing corporate jobs. Ceva is a global veterinary health company focused on the research development, production and marketing of pharmaceutical products and vaccines for pets, livestock, swine and poultry.

CivicPlus, a software company, will expand its operations and build a new facility in downtown Manhattan. Ten-year plans call for more than 250 new, full-time positions and $9.0 million in capital investment. CivicPlus develops, designs and manages award-winning community engagement systems that use advanced technology to connect people with government in new, more efficient ways. The company presently has 83 employees in Manhattan and provides website solutions for more than 1,000 cities and counties throughout the United States, with international clients in Canada and Australia. Since 2008, the company has won more than 250 website awards for its clients.

Client Services, Inc., of St. Charles, MO has chosen Lenexa, KS for a new collection services center in the U.S.. The company’s new receivables management center will initially create more than 175 new jobs, with growth in excess of 220 persons within two years. In addition, they plan to invest $3.43 million in new capital investment at the facility. This new customer service operation will house some of the company’s core financial recovery business for many of largest banks in the U.S. Client Services will lease 18,000 square feet at College Corporate Meadows in Lenexa, Kan. The company conducted an extensive search in the U.S. for this new operation and credits the quality of labor in the Johnson County area as a factor in their decision.

Columbia Elevator Products, of Port Chester NY has announced the purchase of Elevator Solutions International in Winfield KS. Columbia is a leading manufacturer of elevator cabs, doors and related equipment. They plan to invest up to $1,000,000 to upgrade ESI equipment, retrain workers, and expand operations. The 44 current employees will be retained and 16 workers will be added over the first three years (60 jobs total).

Command Transportation, a non-asset based, international logistics/brokerage company based in Chicago, IL, has expanded its workforce in Overland Park, KS. Command Transportation will add 10 new employees to its existing facility and invest 215,500 in capital. Command Transportation provides logistics solutions and services for loads moving throughout the U.S. , Canada and Mexico via full truckload, LTL and intermodal services.

Comprehensive Logistic, Inc., a leading 3rd Party Logistics Provider delivering highly efficient engineered solutions to complex supply chains, has signed a 2 year lease for 227,000 square feet in Kansas City, Kan. The Youngstown, Ohio, company, which is new to the Kansas City area market, leased the space in a 513,000-square-foot building at 5300 Kansas Ave. in the Turner industrial district. Comprehensive Logistics will use the building to receive international parts and sort them for distribution to the General Motors Corp.’s Fairfax Assembly Plant. The project is estimated to provide about 40 to 50 jobs at the new location with an estimated capital investment of $10M.

Comprehensive Logistics Inc. (CLI), a premier provider of holistic warehousing, distribution and transportation management capabilities, will be expanding its operations into Kansas City, Kansas. This new 227,000 sq. ft. facility will create 50 new jobs with a capital investment of 18M. Founded in 1995, CLI manages more than 4 million square feet of facility operating space in the United States and Canada and is ISO 9001 and ISO/TS 16949 certified. A non-asset-based, end-to-end supply chain services company with roots in the transportation industry dating back to 1903, CLI is one of the fastest-growing, privately held logistics service providers in the United States.

Cook Flatt & Strobel Engineering, has chosen Kansas City, KS as their next location to expand operations. Founded in 1961, Cook, Flatt & Strobel has become one of the Midwest's leading engineering firms through its commitment to the highest quality and efficient project management. They provide quality professional consulting engineering services in a multitude of disciplines from government agencies, industries to individuals. The company will create 23 new jobs at their new Cambridge Circle location. The Kansas Department of Commerce worked in partnership with Wyandotte Economic Development Council and the Unified Government of Wyandotte County to make this a success for Kansas.

Corner Stone Kansas City has announced that it will open its headquarters in Overland Park. An insurance agency specializing in serving construction, manufacturing, agricultural and energy clients, Corner Stone plans to create 44 new jobs in Kansas over the next five years. Corner Stone anticipates a capital investment of $850,000 in conjunction with its move to Kansas.

Cosentino’s, Cosentino Enterprises, and Cosentino Group, have relocated their headquarters offices to Prairie Village, KS. Beginning in 1948, as a small roadside fruit stand on Bascom Ave Cosentino's has grown into a family owned gourmet food store. This relocation will bring 90 jobs and over $3 million in new capital investment to Kansas. Cosentino’s utilized the PEAK program in their relocation.

CoSentry, a technology service provider, will build a new $31.6 million data center in Lenexa, creating more than 60 jobs. CoSentry is a one source provider of data center, cloud computing and managed technical services. CoSentry performed an extensive market analysis prior to selecting Lenexa, Kan. for their newest data center. They considered factors including business climate, incentives and power costs in 21 markets before choosing Lenexa from a two-year evaluation period. CoSentry will purchase 57,517 square feet in Lenexa.

Coventry Health Care Inc. will locate over 300 jobs in Kansas at office space in the Corporate Woods office park in Overland Park, Kan. Coventry, a managed health care organization with corporate headquarters in Bethesda, Md., will lease about 70,000 square feet in Corporate Woods with occupancy planned for early 2013. Total capital investment is estimated at over $16 million for the project.

Creekstone Farms Premium Beef LLC, one of the largest employers in Cowley County, announced today that it will expand its operations in Arkansas City. The beef processing company, which has been based in Arkansas City for over 10 years, currently employs 720 and anticipates hiring an additional 300 workers during the next five years. Creekstone Farms processes naturally and conventionally raised premium Black Angus beef at 604 Goff Industrial Park Road in Arkansas City. The company plans to replace areas of the existing building damaged by a recent fire. An additional 71,000 square foot building will include a new refrigerated fabrication floor area, packaging, combo cooler storage, refrigerated truck docks, processing support and equipment rooms, inspection and production offices and employee welfare spaces.

Cretcher Heartland Incorporated, will locate its headquarters for its independent insurance agency and employee benefits office in Overland Park, Kansas. This new office location will employ more than seventy employees and generate over $4.0M in new capital investment.

Crosswind Petfoods has announced it will expand its operations to Topeka and create 62 jobs. Crosswind produces pet food for both branded and private label programs. The company anticipates a capital investment of $4 million in Topeka. Crosswind is one of the leading pet food and treat contract manufacturers in North America. The company’s manufacturing capabilities include dog food, dog treats, cat food, cat treats, bird food, small animal diets, reptile foods and zoo foods.

Crown Equipment, one of the world’s largest material handling companies, has announced the opening of a company-owned branch in Lenexa. At its new 70,000-square-foot facility, Crown plans to create 60 new jobs over the next five years. In addition to an inventory of parts and a fully equipped maintenance shop, the branch offers battery and charger service, rental fleets and forklift re-manufacturing. Crown’s educational programs will also provide lessons and exercises to connect classroom instruction with real-world application. The new location will be Crown’s 56th company-owned branch.

Dahmer Contracting Group relocated its administrative offices for its commercial drywall and specialty contractor work from Missouri to Lenexa, Kansas. The company is estimated to bring 17 new jobs and $850,000 in capital investment to this new location.

Dairy Farmers of America is building a new headquarters in Kansas City, Kansas. DFA's corporate office will support both the U.S. and global business activities for fluid marketing and commercial operations. The company plans to build a 100,000 square foot facility in Kansas City, Kansas and bring 400 news jobs and over $20 million in new investment to the state.

Data Locker Inc. announced that it will add 29 new jobs in Overland Park, Kan. over the next five years. Data Locker, an international data security provider, is expanding at its current location in Lighton Tower at 7500 College Blvd.

DaVinci Roofscapes, LLC has announced plans to expand operations and has selected Lenexa, KS as their new home. DaVinci Roofscapes, LLC is a leading provider of authentic-looking and durable synthetic slate and shake tile roofing used for residential and commercial applications. Tiles are plastic injected molded using proprietary resin formulas. The new Kansas location would be both the headquarters and the manufacturing site for all of the current production. The company will expand operations at 9939 Widmer Road by adding 16 net new jobs to their current employment base of 49.

Diagnostic Imaging Centers, will relocate their headquarters to a new 15,000 sq ft office location in Overland Park, KS. Diagnostic Imaging Centers, P.A. provides medical imaging in the greater Kansas City area with a commitment to technological innovation, compassionate patient care, and maintaining a professional and responsive relationship with the health care community. The new location will employ 32 full-time and one part-time position.

Digital Evolution Group, LLC (DEG) is expanding operations at their Overland Park, KS location. The company, which currently employs 85 people has plans to hire an additional 65 new employees over the next few years. DEG creates digital marketing, commerce, and collaboration strategies that empower organizations to amplify their competitive advantages.

Dimensional Innovations, Inc., announced the expansion of their Overland Park, KS based firm today. The company has plans to add 25 new jobs over the next few years adding to their current employee base of 92. Dimensional Innovations, Inc. is a multi-disciplinary firm guiding their clients’ ideas through design, fabrication, and installation since September 1993. The firm is comprised of project developers and managers, designers, engineers, as well as artists and fabricators. The company’s design team helps clients translate rough ideas into viable opportunities. The firm has experience in various market segments including: cinemas, casinos, sports facilities, retailers, restaurants, hotels, hospitals, entertainment venues, museums, zoos, libraries, and government.

Diversified Services, is establishing a second production facility in Wichita, Kansas with 75 new jobs and $2.1 million in capital investment. The firm is a metal and composite material inspection and processing company.

Douthit Frets Rouse Gentile & Rhodes, announced today it will lease 20,000 square feet in a new $14 million dollar office building located at Park Place in Leawood, KS. Douthit Frets Rouse Gentile & Rhodes specializes in plaintiff litigation, medical malpractice, and small company formation. The firm plans on employing 47 people in the next few years with wages well above the Johnson County average.

Draka, a global manufacturer of wire and cable, announced plans today to locate its first U.S. cable assembly venture for wind in Hutchinson, Kan., where the company will supply the Siemens nacelle facility there. The announcement makes Draka the first supplier to choose Kansas specifically to supply the Siemens facility. The company will create between five and 10 new jobs, with plans to double employment within a year. Draka is the eighth-largest cable manufacturer in the world and the third-largest in Europe. With global headquarters in Holland and U.S. corporate offices in Massachusetts, Draka develops, engineers, manufactures and sells cable solutions for applications in sectors such as irrigation, construction, cranes, movable bridges and marine oil and gas. Draka is also the main supplier of value-added cable for Siemens Wind in Denmark.

E.C. Manufacturing will open its manufacturing facility and headquarters in Shawnee, Kan. The company is expected to create 252 new jobs over the next three years and make an estimated capital investment of more than $6 million. The company will produce advanced, small electrical components. E.C. Manufacturing is affiliated with Heatron, a Leavenworth based company specializing in thermal management and heating element design and solutions, as well as LED Integration.

El Dorado National Kansas Inc. has purchased the bus operations of a California company and will move the assets to its Salina, Kan. facility. The move will create 36 new manufacturing jobs in Salina. El Dorado National recently purchased Krystal Enterprises of Brea, Calif., a manufacturer of luxury buses with estimated annual sales in excess of $30 million. The new luxury buses will complement the Aerolite, Aerotech, Aero Elite and Advantage buses already made at Eldorado National’s Salina facility.

ELM Service LLC announced that it will be expanding in Overland Park. A service provider to the mortgage industry, the company will add more than 160 employees to its current workforce during the next five years. ELM Services LLC recently moved from space on College Boulevard to Corporate Woods, where the company has made nearly $850,000 in capital investment

eLuminate Health, a start-up healthcare marketplace, is opening its headquarters in Leawood. The company will create 201 jobs in Kansas over the next five years and anticipates capital investment levels exceeding $4 million. eLuminate Health provides a tool for health insurers and health plan administrators to bring together consumers and healthcare providers based on pricing and quality information. eLuminate Health’s system will support standardized procedure pricing to enable payment and automated pre-authorization process.

Embarq Corporation, has decided to retain its corporate headquarters in Kansas. The company signed a new five-year lease that will keep about 1,100 employees on the Overland Park campus of Sprint Nextel Corporation. Another 350 employees will be shifted to Embarq facilities in Gardner, KS. Embarq is a local phone company that spun off from Sprint in 2006. The Kansas Department of Commerce worked with the Embarq team on an incentive offer to retain their company in Kansas. The company looked at a variety of options in the US, and we are very pleased that their decision was Kansas.

Embarq Corporation, has decided to retain its corporate headquarters in Kansas. The company signed a new five-year lease that will keep about 1,100 employees on the Overland Park campus of Sprint Nextel Corporation. Another 350 employees will be shifted to Embarq facilities in Gardner, KS. Embarq is a local phone company that spun off from Sprint in 2006. The Kansas Department of Commerce worked with the Embarq team on an incentive offer to retain their company in Kansas. The company looked at a variety of options in the US, and we are very pleased that their decision was Kansas.

Employers Mutual Casualty Company (EMC), has announced their new location in Overland Park, KS. The Iowa based company has plans to lease 20,000 sq ft of office space in the Commerce Plaza building and plans to create 64 net new jobs for Kansas. EMC Insurance Companies ranks among the top 60 insurance organizations in the United States and is one of the largest property and casualty companies in Iowa. Founded in 1911, EMC Insurance Companies is financially solid, built on 100 years of serving policyholders and independent insurance agents. Today, EMC employs more than 2,100 employees in 16 locations across the country. EMC sells its products solely through independent insurance agencies in more than 40 states. The publicly traded subsidiary of EMC, EMC Insurance Group, Inc., is ranked on the “100 Most Trustworthy Companies” list by Forbes.

Encore Receivables Management Inc, a division of Convergys Corporation, has decided to expand their operations in Olathe, KS. The operations in Olathe will add 250 new customer service representatives who will provide comprehensive accounts receivables management utilizing Convergys proprietary technology and analytical tools. The company chose to expand their operations in Olathe over sites in Denver, CO; Austin, TX; Killeen, TX; Salt Lake City, UT.

Endres Processing, is a Minnesota-based animal nutrition company that utilizes consumer baking and food products and processes them into animal nutrition products for the livestock industry. They will locate a new operation to Kansas City, Kansas and lease a facility, creating 30 new jobs and $2.0M in new capital investment.

Endure Energy, L.L.C. (Endure), is a newly formed wholesale electricity and natural gas marketing company located in Overland Park, Kansas. With over 60 years of combined energy market experience, Endure Energy’s management will implement a three year strategic growth plan into the electricity and natural gas wholesale markets. Plans call for growth to over 35 employees that will eventually cover markets in the lower 48 states and Canada. Success will be driven by the dedication of Endure’s employees and their relationships with their customers, and a formal commitment to managing risk across the organization.

Engineered Air of Canada, broke ground on a new production facility in De Soto, Kansas, where its U.S. headquarters and manufacturing plant are located. The company is planning to add 170 jobs and invest $8.5 million in building and equipment to increase production capacity for HVAC equipment.

Epiq Systems of Kansas City, Kan. will construct a 20,000-square-foot expansion to its 45,000- square-foot corporate headquarters office in Kansas City, Kansas. The estimated completion of the expansion is summer 2013. The company, a global provider of technology solutions for the legal profession, will invest approximately $7.5 million in the expansion. The new facility will house primarily technology associates, comprising both software and IT engineers, in order to meet growing demands for Epiq’s proprietary legal technology solutions. When complete, Epiq will be positioned to expand its Kansas City workforce by 80 employees to more than 200 associates. Epiq employs approximately 1,000 associates worldwide.

Erickson, Kernell, Derusseau & Kleypas, LLC, a provider of legal services related to intellectual property has announced their relocation to Leawood, KS. The firm offers expertise in patent law, focusing on helping their clients protect and enhance the value of their patentable inventions, trademarks, designs and works of authorship. The company has leased 4,800 sq ft of office space and will create 13 net new Kansas jobs.

Erise IP, an intellectual property litigation firm, announced that it has moved its practice to Overland Park, creating 15 full-time, new positions. The firm will make a significant capital investment and lease 7,000 square feet at 6201 College Blvd. Erise is an IP litigation boutique that focuses exclusively on patent, trademark, copyright and trade secret cases for a variety of local, national and international clients, such as Garmin, Ubisoft, Sony and the Ford Motor Co.

Excel Industries Inc. has announced that it will open a facility at Logistics Park Kansas City (LPKC) in Edgerton. The turf care product manufacturer, which is headquartered in Hesston, plans to create 200 new jobs at LPKC. The company’s new worksite will include warehousing and distribution. In addition to its planned expansion in Edgerton, Excel expects continued growth of employment at its headquarters in Hesston during the next several years to facilitate the introduction of new product lines. Excel was founded in Hesston in 1960 and is a third generation family-owned business. It is one of the leading manufacturers of consumer and professional mowing equipment, sold through the Hustler Turf Equipment and BigDog Mower Company brands, exporting its products to more than 30 countries.

Exide Technologies, a global leader in stored electrical energy solutions, will add 100 to 130 additional jobs at its Salina battery assembly and electrical charging facility and invest millions of dollars in expanding capacity. The growth is expected to occur within the next two years. Exide is investing in equipment upgrades, line expansions, infrastructure and utilities at its Salina operation, which currently employs more than 600 people. Following the investment in Salina, Exide will have the capacity to expand the annual assembly and charging of batteries destined for automobiles.

FABCOM Precast, a Minnesota based manufacturer of precast, pre-stressed concrete wall panels, has announced it is expanding into Kansas. The new operation will be housed in Pleasanton in a plant previously occupied by IPC Inc., a subsidiary of Cretex Companies. The plan will allow FABCON to better serve its customers in the region. FABCON supplies wall panels for national retailers, including Walmart, Target, Gander Mountain, Cabela's, Menards and Home Depot in addition to regional businesses such as Nebraska Furniture Mart and many others. FABCON has manufactured millions of square feet of panels for developers OPUS, Duke Realty and Prologis, including sever FedEx distribution centers. The company will hire approximately 35-40 people including engineers and drafters, plant managers and production supervisors, quality and safety assurance staff, skilled manufacturing laborers and construction field personnel as well as administrative support. To help new employees on their career path, current FABCON employees will mentor and train new hires. In the company weeks, FABCON will work to add equipment to fulfill its production requirements. The building infrastructure and surrounding yard space is in good condition and will be easily adapted as the building was constructed in 2008. The company plans to have the plan fully operational by June.

Farmers Insurance announced that it has extended its lease for its national property claims division offices in Olathe. The extension, which lasts through 2024, will allow Farmers to retain 400 positions at its more than 100,000 square foot facility at 10551 South Ridgeview Road. The businesses in the Farmers Insurance Group of Companies are one of the largest insurers of vehicles, home and small businesses in the United States, and provide a wide range of other insurance and financial services products. With more than 2,000 workers in four offices in Olathe, Farmers Insurance is one of the city's largest employers.

Farmers Insurance, has chosen Olathe KS for a new customer service operation. Farmers will add 600 new customer service workers to its Olathe Kansas workforce and build a new $25 million facility scheduled to open in February 2009 in the I-35/119th Street Technology Park. Construction will start soon on the nearly 100,000 square foot structure. This is an expansion of the Farmers' Help Point unit and will boost the company's workforce in the Olathe business park to about 1,600 employees. Farmers Insurance is Olathe's largest private employer.

FedEx Freight, the leading U. S. provider of next-day and second-day regional less-than-truckload freight services, is expanding their Wichita operations and having a new regional hub built to better serve south-central Kansas. The new hub will be in the Skyway Industrial Park in Wichita. Employment is expected to gradually expand over the next five years. This expansion will bring 30 new jobs to Wichita and over $10 million in new capital investment.

FedEx SmartPost, a division of FedEx Ground, announced the location of a regional hub in Olathe. This 126,000 sq. ft. facility will collect and distribute catalogues and periodicals in cooperation with the U.S. Postal Service. Nearly 70 full-time equivalent positions will be created

Fiber Solutions KC, LLC, announced their new location in Kansas City, KS. The company provides recycling services for used carpet by processing the product so it can be repurposed. Fiber Solutions KC, LLC has plans on growing to 44 net new Kansas jobs over the next few years. The Kansas Department of Commerce worked in partnership with Wyandotte Development, Inc. in the attraction of this new company.

Fiorella's Jack Stack Barbeque will move its corporate headquarters from Missouri to Overland Park, KS. They will be doubling the size of their space and centralizing corporate and technical operations closer to its four Kansas City-area restaurants. The company will relocate 13 management and administrative professionals to 95th & Metcalf in Overland Park. The restaurant chain employs 125 employees in Kansas and 425 in Kansas City, MO.

Fire Sprinkler Consultants, Inc. (FSC Inc.), and FSC MEP Engineers, LLC announced plans to relocate operations to Overland Park, KS. FSC Inc., and FSC MEP Engineers, LLC is a multi-disciplinary engineering company providing fire protection, mechanical, electrical, plumbing and code consulting services to architects, engineers, contractors and owners. The firms will invest over $1.7 in new capital towards the project and plan on hiring a total of 45 jobs over the next 5 years.

FireMon develops and writes software to manage firewalls for a company's information technology infrastructure. The company is planning to bring 130 new jobs and over $2.0 million in new capital investment to Overland Park, Kansas.

FlightSafety International, Inc, a world leader in aviation training services, will expand their five facilities at major aircraft manufacturers in Wichita. The expansion will add 250 jobs and double the number of pilots and other professionals being trained for new aircraft at Cessna, Hawker Beechcraft and Bombardier – Lear. The company will invest over $140 million in new simulators and support equipment.

Florence Manufacturing Company, a division of Gibraltar Industries, has announced a $7 million capital investment and plans to create more than 100 new jobs in Manhattan. The company will expand its production capabilities and add capacity to support significant growth in Florence's core business lines focused on the manufacture and distribution of centralized mailboxes and parcel locker products in North America, as well as new product introductions and the achievement of several new business opportunities. With the expansion, Florence will employ more than 400 workers in Manhattan.

Flowers Baking, Co. has announced that it will begin production at a bakery in Lenexa this summer. The bakery was acquired by Flowers Foods in July 2013 and has been undergoing an extensive modernization project at an estimated cost of more than $10 million. While a specific opening date has not been set, the bakery will open with one bread line and have about 100 jobs at start-up. The bakery will produce Nature's Own, Wonder and Home Pride breads that will be available in Kansas, eastern Oklahoma and Missouri.

Focus Printing Group, based in Kansas City, MO will establish a new production facility in Kansas City, Kansas. The new facility will have 30 new employees and invest $1.44 million.

Ford Storage and Moving, has leased 24,000 sq. ft. in Kansas City, Kan. Ford Storage and Moving is an Omaha-based third party logistics, warehousing, record storage, transportation services and home delivery company. The company expects its KC business to grow and looks to expand its footprint significantly in the near future.

Four Cargill agricultural businesses and 65 employees will share a common address when the company opens a regional office in Overland Park. The businesses that will be relocating non-production staff to Overland Park include: General management for Twin Rivers Farm Service Group of Cargill AgHorizons, which oversees eight Cargill grain facilities in eastern Kansas, western Missouri and southwest Iowa; the joint grain origination for the eight AgHorizons grain facilities and the Cargill Grain and Oilseeds soybean processing plant in Kansas City, Mo; the leadership and customer service team for Cargill Animal Nutrition’s southeast region, which includes feed mills in Kansas and seven other states; and the western region merchandising team of Horizon Milling, a joint venture flour milling business between Cargill and CHS Inc. The region includes flour mills in Kansas and three other states.

Gates Corporation, a global, diversified manufacturer of industrial and automotive products, has announced that it will expand its Iola manufacturing facility to accommodate a new line of oil and gas hose products. The 82,000-square-foot expansion will increase the size of the company's existing plant, which manufactures hydraulic and other industrial hose products. In operation since 1975, the Gates Iola plat currently employs more than 650 people in its manufacturing and distribution operations and is currently accepting applications for employment. Its expanded plan will be more than 500.000 square feet. Construction is expected to begin in the summer of 2015 and will take approximately 18 months to complete, including equipment installation and testing.

GBW Railcar Services, a joint venture of Greenbrier and Watco Companies will open an office in Overland Park. The company, which delivers freight car repair services and monitors certification and maintenance requirements, will add 20 to 30 jobs in the next year. GBW is the largest independent railcar repair network in the nation. With more than 2,100 employees, GBW plans to expand to other tank car services and repairs.

GE Capital Bank, Member FDIC, is creating a call center in Merriam in northeast Johnson County. The call center will lease 25,000 square feet in a building occupied by a separate GE Capital business, GE Capital Retail Bank, which has been in Merriam since 1989. The new center is expected to employ 150 people in two phases. The call center will provide a variety of customer service functions to future GE Capital Bank individual account holders. GE Capital Bank is based in Salt Lake City and is a subsidiary of GE Capital, GE’s global financial services business. The Merriam operation will initially begin with two employee shifts.

GE Power & Water's Air Filtration business plans to locate its headquarters in Overland Park and create 170 positions there. GE Air Filtration's new location in Overland Park is designed to better serve the evolving requirements of the company's headquarters workforce. As part of the move to the new headquarters, GE plans to invest approximately $8.5 million. GE Power & Water's Filtration business helps customers achieve air quality and plan performance goals with products and solutions for gas turbine inlet filtration and industrial filtration.

General Motors, will invest $136 million to retool its Kansas City, Kansas plant to build its next-generation Chevrolet Malibu. The investment will bolster production of a vehicle that has been one of the best selling cars for GM. The Malibu was GM’s second highest selling vehicle in the first quarter of 2010. Recently, GM also announced their plans to create over 1,000 jobs at the Kansas City, KS plant to add a third production line to produce both the LaCrosse and Malibu. GM announced plans to invest $600M in a new 450,000 square foot paint shop and an upgraded stamping facility at the Fairfax Assembly Plant in Kansas City, Kan. where both the Buick LaCrosse and Chevrolet Malibu are produced. The investment is part of a larger $1.3B investment GM is making this year in its plants. GM noted that the Fairfax Plant investment is one of the largest existing plant investments ever made by the company and that the investment will make it the most efficient, modernized plant in GM’s 130-plant network around the globe. Approximately 4,000 workers are employed by GM at the Kansas City, Kansas facility.

Generali USA, a reinsurance company has announced their decision to relocate their office operations to Lenexa, KS. The company will have 121 employees.

Geneva Roth Capital, and three other associated companies from Kansas City, Missouri are moving to a new location in Mission, Kansas. The companies will create 89 new jobs and invest $3.0 million.

Geneva Roth Ventures, Inc located in Mission, KS announced that they will be adding 84 net new Kansas jobs. The lending provider plans on expanding at their current facility.

GKN, a British-based aerospace manufacturer, recently established a presence in Wellington, Kansas through its acquisition of U.S. aerospace company Stellex Aerostructures, a manufacturer of complex metal structural components. The Kansas facility employs 200 people.

Global Ground Support has announced that it will keep its manufacturing operations in its existing 112,000 square-foot facility at Old 56 Highway and Harrison Street in Olathe. Global Ground Support produces a wide array of airport equipment including deicing vehicles, scissor lift trucks and catering trucks for the U.S. military and for airlines and airports around the world. The company will retain 100 jobs at its Olathe facility and plans to create 25 additional jobs during the next five years.

Global Prairie Marketing, LLC, an integrated marketing communications company will join MPM Capital and Novita Therapeutics at their new now at 1901 Olathe Blvd., in Kansas City, KS. Global Prairie Marketing will employ 17 people focused on advertising, branding, design, digital, direct marketing, grass roots communications, media relations, public affairs and research. Global Prairie is an integrated marketing communications company founded by people who are passionate about building sustainable, authentic, and mutually beneficial relationships with their clients, their colleagues and their communities. Global Prairie's goal is to develop and manage sustainable brands. The firm currently has offices in three cities - Kansas City, Cleveland, and Fort Worth.

Go Configure will relocate its administrative and call center operations to Pittsburg during 2014. The company expects to invest more than $9 million and will create 35 new jobs initially, with an additional five jobs expected in the next two years. Go Configure was recently acquired by Backyard Leisure HOldings, which was founded and remains headquartered in Pittsburg. Go Configure is a national leader in home delivery, assembly and repair services. The company was founded in 1996 and now serves more than 1,000 retail locations in 48 states from its current headquarters in Chicago. The company's clientele includes some of the world's leading retailers, such as Sam's Club, Dick's Sporting Goods, Academy Sports and Outdoors, Toys "R" Us, Lowe's and Backyard Discovery. Go Configure's operation includes a call center which fields nearly one million calls for serve each year, and a fleet of installation specialists across the country.

Grantham University, an accredited online university serving working adults around the world, announced this week that it will be relocating its main campus to Lenexa in spring 2014. Grantham University moved to Kansas City in 2005 when it relocated its campus from just outside of New Orleans after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. The University, which currently employs more than 350 staff on-site, offers 100 percent online undergraduate and graduate degree programs to students world-wide.

GTM Sportswear will open a new, state-of-the-art UltraFuse Sublimation Center at the GTM Sportswear Campus in Manhattan, the first of its kind in the Midwest. The new UltraFuse Sublimation Center and the relocation of the GTM Select cheerleading uniform cut-and-sew facility from Texas to Kansas will lead to significant job growth within the state of Kansas, Manhattan and surrounding communities. GTM plans to create nearly 650 new jobs and make almost $17 million in new capital investment between 2013 and 2017. GTM Sportswear, headquartered in Manhattan, is a national provider of custom-embellished uniforms, warm-ups and practice apparel for college, school, and club sports teams.

GVL Polymers Inc. has announced that it will open a plant in Hesston. The manufacturer of rotational molded, polyethylene parts for agriculture, industrial and commercial industries plans to open a 50,000 square foot facility, where it will employ more than 20 full time workers within its first year of operation. GVL Polymers Inc. is a privately held corporation with its headquarters in Litchfield, Minn.

HairUWear Inc., a premier manufacturer of high quality hair goods, will relocate its corporate offices, as well as its distribution and warehousing operations to Lenexa. The corporate functions being relocated include finance, logistics, operations, quality control and certain aspects of its sales operations. The company plans to create 102 new jobs in Kansas during the next five years. HairUWear will invest $7.1 million in its move to the new facility, which is located at 14865 West 105th Street in Lenexa.

Hantover, Inc., and its wholly-owned subsidiary, ARY, Inc., are moving to Overland Park, Kan. Hantover, a distributor to the food processing and general manufacturing industries, will bring 81 jobs to Overland Park and add 39 jobs over the next five years. ARY, which designs, manufactures and sells commercial-quality personal protective clothing and packaging equipment, will bring 10 jobs to the community. The company has moved to a 25,000-square-foot facility where it will make a $3.3 million capital investment. Hantover has 10 distribution centers across North America, works with 2,000 vendors and has more than 40,000 customers.

Hawkeye Material Management, Inc., in Arkansas City, KS is expanding its aircraft parts distribution facility in Kansas. The expansion will bring 10 new jobs and $450,000 in new capital investment.

Health and Benefit Systems, Inc. dba Benefit Communication Insourcing, has announced its plans to expand their existing operation in Overland Park, KS. The company plans to more than double their current operations by adding an additional 40 jobs to the 36 current employees. Health and Benefit Systems, Inc. business includes group medical consulting services, human resource consulting services, wellness consulting, and a full-range of employee benefits communication services.

Health and Benefit Systems, Inc. dba Benefit Communication Insourcing, has announced its plans to expand their existing operation in Overland Park, KS. The company plans to more than double their current operations by adding and additional 40 jobs to the 36 current employee. In 1986, Ken Sigman founded Health & Benefit Systems, Inc. (HBS). After successfully founding one of the first freestanding cardiovascular rehabilitation centers in the Midwest, Ken Sigman turned his attention toward preventative measures. Working with a grant from local philanthropist Ewing Kauffman, Ken coordinated the CPR training of 100,000 people in the Kansas City area. Between 1994 and 2000, HBS expanded its business to include group medical consulting services, human resource consulting services, wellness consulting, and a full-range of employee benefits communication services.

Health Outcomes Sciences, a healthcare IT firm, will locate its offices to Overland Park, Kan in the Southcreek Office Park where it is projecting to add nearly 40 new jobs within the next five years and over $1.0 million in new capital investment. Since 2009, Health Outcomes Sciences has been a market leader of an evidence-based value approach to healthcare and a driving force behind clinical practice change through its national deployment of ePRISM®; a web-based software system, through which complex mathematical algorithms for patient-specific risk can be translated, rendered, and delivered to clinicians at the point of care.

Heartland Rehabilitation Hospital, a 54,000 square-foot, 45-bed acute rehabilitation hospital, is being built by Post-Acute medical to serve Overland Park, the greater Kansas City metro area and the region. The new facility is expected to create nearly 150 new full-time positions and will be located at 5100 Indian Creek Parkway. Heartland Rehabilitation hospital features a specially designed unit that will provide care for head trauma and Parkinson's Disease. The hospital will also help patients who have suffered from sports injuries, motorcycle or auto injuries, war veteran head injuries, stroke, spinal cord injury, hip and knee replacements and amputees. The facility will include all on-site services necessary.

Hill's Pet Nutrition, has, after an extensive search process, chosen Kansas for another business operation. The company will build a new state-of-the-art dry pet food manufacturing facility in Emporia, KS. This new facility will employ 150 jobs and have a new capital investment of $160M. Hill's is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Colgate Palmolive Company.

Hoefer Wysocki Architects (HWA), will move its Country Club Plaza headquarters to a new location in Leawood, bringing 65 jobs and $5.1 million in initial capital investment to Kansas – with up to 60 additional jobs projected over the next several years. The company will move into the top floor of an existing 108,000 square-foot building in the Pinnacle Corporate Centre campus, which it designed for Block Real Estate Services. HWA expects to begin moving to the new location at 11460 Tomahawk Creek Parkway later this year. The relocation was facilitated by the Kansas Department of Commerce, with additional logistical assistance from the Leawood Chamber of Commerce. “We’re excited to welcome Hoefer Wysocki Architects to Kansas,” said Kansas Department of Commerce Secretary Bill Thornton. “HWA is the latest company to see the advantages of locating in Kansas, and we thank them for their commitment to our state and our workforce.”

Hospira Inc., the world's leading provider of injectable drugs and infusion technologies announced an investment in its McPherson facility that will result in 150 jobs and $120 million in capital improvements at the site during the next five years. As part of the McPherson investment, Hospira will be completing capital improvement and modernization projects, including expanding capacity, adding automated visual inspection systems and installing additional production lines at the facility. Hospira has a strong heritage in McPherson that dates back to 1977. The McPherson plan has approximately 1,400 employees and produces generic injectable and biologic medicines using advanced manufacturing technology, including lyophilization, isolator filling lines and state-of-the-are aseptic filling processes. The McPherson team provides medications in multiple delivery systems, including glass vials, ampoules, syringes and cartridges.

Hostess Brands LLC, a new company and employer under new ownership announced plans to reopen and expand its bakery in Emporia. Kan. The company will initially add 250 jobs in Emporia and plans to create a total of more than 300 jobs in the community within the next several years. The baking facility will resume operations this summer and will produce a full assortment of Hostess’ snack products. Company expects to make up to $60 million in significant investment for facility upgrades. The investment in the Emporia baking facility is being funded by affiliates of Apollo Global Management, LLC and Metropoulos and Company, which purchased selected Hostess assets out of bankruptcy in April 2013.

ICAT Logistics, of Linthicum, Maryland has selected Overland Park, Kansas for a new regional office. The company will create 25 new jobs.

IMMI, an industry leader in the design, testing and manufacturing of advanced safety systems for commercial vehicles, announced its plans to begin manufacturing school bus components at its newest location in Burrton, Kansas. Located at 302 East Dean Road, the new operation should create more than 30 new jobs in the first 12 months of operation.

IModules Software, Inc. will build a new 19,000 sq. ft. headquarters and expand its business presence in Leawood, Kan. IModules is a software company aimed at helping higher education institutions, non-profits or organizations and associates engage alumni and members for fund-raising and other marketing efforts. The 85-employee company has plans for future job growth over the next few years and worked in partnership with the Kansas Department of Commerce and the City of Leawood on the expansion. In May 2012, iModules celebrated its tenth anniversary since opening doors in 2002 with just 10 employees. The company has experienced unprecedented growth, including being ranked on the Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing private companies in America.

Inclusion Technologies LLC has selected Atchison as the location of its headquarters and manufacturing facility. The startup company will produce food ingredient products for the industrial market., including a line of nut-free ingredients and other customized products. Inclusion plans to hire 17 employees in Atchison during the next five years and continue capital investment in the facility. Inclusion Technologies is a new ingredient and management company focused on investments and acquisitions in the food inclusion space. Through a planned "buy and build" strategy, along with planned strategic alliances, the company's goal is to develop a broad-based portfolio of specialty inclusions focused on innovative ingredient solutions.

Inside Acadamies relocated their operations to Kansas recently and acts as a resource center for potential students looking to advance their education. The company will create 145 jobs over the next 5 years in Kansas. In addition, Inside Response relocated to the same offices via an instate move. The company provides marketing services to insurance carriers and brokers. The company will create an additional 50 jobs over the next 5 years on top of their base of 17 employees and have plans for approximately $1.7M of new capital investment.

Integrated Animal Health (IAH) announced that it will increase its footprint in the KC Animal Health Corridor and bring its global headquarters to Lawrence, Kansas. The formerly Queensland, Australia-based animal heath company also announced a permanent location at the Bioscience & Technology Business Center (BTBC) at the University of Kansas. Integrated Animal Health will initially lease 700-square-fee at the BTBC with options to expand as the company grows. IAH expects to hire 50 employees during the next several years. Integrated Animal Health becomes the 35th tenant company in the Bioscience & Technology Business Center, which includes two facilities in Lawrence and a third at KU Medical Center. These companies total nearly 150 jobs and more than $8 million in payroll.

Integrity Financial Partners has decided that Overland Park, KS will be the home for their new location. Integrity Financial Partners, a receivables management company will create 350 net new Kansas jobs and over $4 million in capital investment.

Intouch Solutions will expand and moves its offices to 7045 College Boulevard in Overland Park in June. A technology based marketing agency serving the pharmaceutical industry, Intouch Solutions currently employs 340 and plans to create 350 new jobs in Overland Park during the next five years. Intouch Solutions Inc. is a privately held marketing agency headquartered in the Kansas City area with offices in Chicago and New York.

Iowa Precast Company, based in Des Moines, Iowa is building a new manufacturing facility in Pleasanton, KS. The new operation will manufacture concrete products, specifically bridge beams and building foundations. The operation will employ 100 jobs in five years and create $4.3M in capital investment in the first year.

J&A Industries, Inc., a railroad signal systems manufacturer and supplier, has announced an expansion of their company in Kansas City, KS. The company will add 51 net new jobs over the next few years bringing their total employment to over 70. J&A Industries, Inc. has served the needs of the railroad industry since 1986. They provide railroads with value and on-time delivery of all signal equipment including layouts, foundations, and switch hardware. The Kansas Department of Commerce worked in partnership with the Wyandotte Economic Development Council on this existing business expansion.

J.P. Morgan Retirement Plan Services, has signed a ten-year lease to occupy new headquarters on the Sprint Campus in Overland Park, KS. The 175,000-square foot building at 6580 Sprint Parkway will house 800 Kansas City-based jobs and the move is scheduled for early 2011. State officials said the company’s decision underscores the state’s longtime commitment to public education. "Companies such as J.P. Morgan commit to Kansas because our workforce is trained, able and incredibly talented," said Kansas Governor Mark Parkinson. "But a skilled workforce doesn’t happen overnight; it takes a long-term commitment to our public schools and post-secondary institutions. As we navigate through our current budget challenges, we must keep this in mind. The decisions we make today directly impact the job opportunities we’ll see in the tomorrows ahead." J.P. Morgan Retirement Plan Services has been in the Kansas City area since 1989.

Jefferson Wells International Inc. will be relocating their Kansas City, Mo offices to Overland Park, KS by the end April. The firm which offers risk advisory, finance and accounting services, will move to 6900 College Boulevard. Over 20 employees will relocate to Overland Park and plans include additional growth in the future. Jefferson Wells opened an office in Kansas City in 2005. The company, with offices nationwide and internationally, is a subsidiary of Manpower Inc.

Jet Airwerks, LLC, president moved his family and business from Weston, FL to start a new aircraft component remanufacturing facility in Arkansas City, KS. The company will create 35 jobs and install $250,000 of new equipment.

Johnson Controls, (NYSE: JCI) the largest global provider of integrated products, systems and services in the buildings market, expanded its existing air-conditioning and heating equipment facility in Wichita, KS by bringing 200 new manufacturing jobs from their facility in Apodaca, Nuevo Leon, Mexico to the Wichita facility. Johnson Controls has over 500 sales and services offices, over 30 manufacturing plants, and serves in over 125 countries.

Jupiter Group, a Denmark-based producer of wind turbine components, will open a new manufacturing facility in Junction City, creating 120 jobs and $2.4 million in capital investment, pending final lease negotiations with the City of Junction City. The new facility will comprise two adjacent buildings totaling 41,000 square feet. The facility will be operational Aug. 1. Jupiter Group will use the facility to service various wind energy clients throughout the Midwest. The company cited Kansas’ central location in the North American Wind Corridor – as well as the state’s pro-business climate, skilled workforce and composites infrastructure – as key to the decision. Jupiter considered various North American locations before choosing Junction City. According to company officials, a Kansas location gives Jupiter economical access to customers throughout the Midwest and a foothold in a region where the wind industry will continue to grow.

K&M Tire Inc., a wholesale tire distributor, is coming to Lawrence, Kan. The company purchased an 81,640-square-foot warehouse at 3801 Greenway Circle. K&M Tire will deliver passenger, light truck, commercial truck, farm and utility tires to tire retailers in Kansas and Missouri out of its new location. The company will create 17 new jobs and make a capital investment of more than $3 million.

Kansas City Steak Company, has announced plans to expand its facility and increase its operations at their existing Wyandotte County location. The significant growth will help make room for their newly expanded product line, which is anticipated to help the company draw an estimated $110 million in sales in the next year. The family-owned company, which just committed to another 10 years in Wyandotte County, will increase employment by adding 35 new jobs and invest in new machinery and equipment for the facility.

Kansas Dairy Ingredients plans to build a dairy ingredient and cheese plant in Hugoton, Kan. Kansas Dairy Ingredients will invest $20 million plus over the next 18 months in Hugoton and expects to bring 60 jobs to the area in its first two years. It also expects to create about 150 temporary construction-related jobs. When the facility first opens, Kansas Dairy Ingredients plans to begin processing approximately 1 million pounds of milk per day to produce fractionated dairy ingredients. As production builds, the company anticipates eventually processing up to 2.5 million pounds of milk per day by the end of 2013. The company plans to build additional capacity to produce cheese and other dry milk ingredients. “We are very excited to announce this project in Hugoton, Kansas, and the effort of many individuals and organizations should be applauded. We would like to thank the following organizations: J.E. Dunn Construction, Tetra Pak, E.A. Bonelli and Associates, Filtration Engineering, and our milk partners,” said Tim Gomez, chief operating officer, Kansas Dairy Ingredients. Kansas Dairy Ingredients, currently based in Missouri, will locate its business operations offices in Kansas City, Kan., and at the Hugoton site.

Kansas Energy, LLC, was founded in 2002 by Mark Gurley, Derek McKenzie and Joe Heller in Olathe, Kansas. The Company began as a wholesale natural gas marketing and trading company serving gas producers, utilities, industrial users and other gas wholesalers by finding buyers, ensuring supplies and providing pathways to reach end users. In August of 2009, Kansas Energy began expanding into electricity trading all the while continuing to grow its natural gas services. The company recently announced plans to grow its team by adding 12 new jobs to its existing staff of 23.

KeyBank Real Estate Capital, will move its downtown Kansas City, Mo., office across the state line to the Sprint Nextel Corp. campus in Overland Park, Kan., officials announced today. The decision will relocate approximately 300 jobs to Kansas. KeyBank evaluated nearly 30 sites in Missouri and Kansas. According to a company spokesperson, a key attribute of the Sprint campus space was “flexibility for expansion as we anticipate expanding our operations over the coming months.” The relocation was facilitated by the Kansas Department of Commerce and the Overland Park Chamber of Commerce. KeyBank is expected to release more details of the move in the coming weeks.

Kiewit Power Constructors Co. & Kiewit Power Engineers Co., will build a new 150,000 sf, five story headquarters facility in Lenexa, Kansas. Both are subsidiaries of Omaha-based Kiewit Corp. The Business Recruitment team of the Kansas Department of Commerce worked with the officials of Kiewit and Lenexa over the last six months to bring this project to Kansas. http://www.kansascity.com/business/story/681235.html

Kimberly Clark, a leading supplier of paper products, based in Irving, Texas will build a new 450,000 square foot distribution center in New Century, Kansas. The operation will have 60 employees and create $20M in new capital investment.

kk electronic will expand its North American operations, opening an office and distribution center in Lenexa. The new facility will allow kk-electronic to better serve its North American customers and focus on further expansion. kk-electronic has more than 30 years in the wind energy business and manufactures wind turbine control and electrical systems for the energy segment. The company continues to install control systems worldwide for innovative and reliable control for wind energy.

Kroger Company, of Cincinnati, Ohio announced they will expand their Hutchinson, Kansas operation by bringing in the divisional headquarters’ accounting and human resources processing center. The new operation will bring 75 new jobs to the community and join Kroger’s accounting operations at the facility.

Kubota Tractor Corporation, the U.S. marketer and distributor of Kubota-engineered and manufactured machinery and equipment, will open a nearly 45,000-square-foot parts distribution center at Logistics Park Kansas City, a 1,500-acre master-planned distribution and warehouse development in Edgerton. Kubota plans to have the facility operational during the third quarter of 2015. When initial operations begin, the new parts distribution center will primarily service the Midwestern United States and will employ approximately 75 employees after the first year. Kubota Tractor Corporation, Torrance, California, is the U.S. marketer and distributor of Kubota-engineered and manufactured machinery and equipment, including a complete line of tractors of up to 170 Gross horsepower, performance-matched implements, compact and utility-class construction equipment, consumer lawn and garden equipment, hay tools and spreaders, commercial turn products and utility vehicles.

Land o'Lakes/Purina Feed LLC, has purchased an existing feed mill in Russell, Kansas and is planning to create 12 new jobs and $16.61M in new capital investment related to this project. The mill will be dedicated to serving the dairy industry. They will modernize the facility upon purchase. The project was worked through a major site location firm in Chicago.

Lansing Trade Group, LLC announced plans to expand their headquarter operations in Overland Park, KS. The privately owned trading company is largely focused on the movement of physical commodities. They trade whole grains, feed ingredients, biofuels, cotton, freight and many other commodities in U.S. domestic and export markets. Current annual revenues are approximately $5 billion, and capacity at their various locations currently total over 15 million bushels of grain and over 24,000 tons of feed ingredients. Lansing Trade Group is headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas and has 10 U.S. offices as well as international offices in Geneva, Switzerland; Monterrey, Mexico; Shanghai, China and Sao Paulo, Brazil. Its continued growth is creating the need to hire an additional 42 employees in its Kansas location over the next 5 years and invest over $3M in capital towards the project.

Laurus International, Inc., announced their decision to open a new operation in Shawnee, KS. Laurus International is a provider of customer service, sales, technical support and back office support for clients. The company plans on hiring 40 new customer care representatives.

LockPath, an Overland Park software company that provides governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) applications, expects to increase its employee base by 400% over the next five years, adding nearly 100 new employees. LockPath will move to a larger office space in Overland Park to accommodate its rapid expansion. LockPath was founded by Chris Caldwell, CEO, and Chris Goodwin, CTO, to help companies and government agencies manage regulations and security risk. Its flagship product, Keylight, correlates security information from multiple data sources with current regulations and policies to gauge risk. For more information visit www.lockpath.com.

M.E GROUP, Inc’s Kansas City office is preparing to relocate to its new location in Overland Park, KS creating 32 new jobs in Kansas. The firm has four other offices and is expanding its Kansas City based operations to the Lighton Plaza II building on College Boulevard. M.E. GROUP is a consultant and advocate for sustainable high performance buildings. Since 1991, the firm has helped clients reduce their building’s operational expenses, improve occupant satisfaction & productivity, and manage their carbon (environmental) footprint. The firm employs a multi-disciplinary staff of 75 professionals that include engineers, scientists and analysts. This move will serve as a testimony to their dedication to “Improving Life Through A Better Built Environment” with the goal of achieving LEED Platinum, under the LEED-CI rating system. The Kansas Department of Commerce worked in partnership with the Overland Park Economic Development Council on the attraction of this new company.

M.E. Group, Inc has announced the relocation of their offices to Overland Park, KS. The engineering and consulting firm plans to create 32 net new jobs over the next five years. M.E. Group is a consultant and advocate for sustainable high performance buildings. For nearly 30 years, the firm’s mission has been to improve life through a better built environment. The firm provides a complementary set of Design, Simulation, Sustainability and Energy services, each of which ensure an economically and environmentally balanced approach. The company plans on investing over $900K in capital towards their new facility.

Mariner Holdings, a parent company for more than a dozen independent investment and financial planning firms, will expand its operations in Leawood, adding additional space at its current location at 4200 W. 115th St., while leasing almost 16,000 square foot of new space in the city at 1130 Tomahawk Parkway. In addition, the company will finish out space currently under lease at Leawood’s Park Place development. Mariner plans to make a $5.7 million capital investment. The company currently employs 272 and will expand its workforce by more than 120 over the next three years.

MarketSphere, a business advisory firm focusing on process, technology and organizational improvement, has announced that it will relocate its Kansas City offices to Overland Park. The office relocation will be effective October 1. MarketSphere will bring more than 60 employees to its new location at 40 Corporate Woods. The company also anticipates creating 25 additional jobs in Overland Park during the next five years.

Mars Chocolate North America announced that it will locate it's new manufacturing facility in Topeka, KS and expects to hire 200 full-time employees in the first phase of the expansion. This will be a state-of-the-art facility, located in Topeka’s Kanza Fire Commerce Park, and reflects the company’s commitment to invest in U.S. manufacturing. The facility will be the first new chocolate site built in the United States in 35 years. The first phase of the new site is planned to be complete by 2013 and will manufacture M&M’s and Snickers brand candies. Mars expects to make a capital investment of more than $250 million during the first phase.

Mazuma Credit Union will build its new corporate headquarters in the Shoppes at Deer Creek Woods on the northwest corner of 135th Street and Metcalf Avenue in Overland Park. Mazuma plans to open the new headquarters in September 2014. The company will bring 147 jobs to Kansas over the next five years as part of its move. The 60,000 square-foot building will include a three-story atrium, a fitness center, a coffee bar and a community center.

McLane Foodservice announced that it will buy and renovate its Shawnee facility, keeping 186 jobs in the community and adding 25 new positions in the future. The company will invest more than $17.5 million to purchase and renovate a 244,000-square-foot warehouse. McLane is part of the McLane Company, a $34 billion supply chain services company that provides grocery and foodservice supply chain solutions for thousands of convenience stores, mass merchants, drug stores and military locations, as well as thousands of chain restaurants throughout the United States.

McNichols Company, the nation's leading supplier of metal and fiberglass products with holes, recently announced the opening of its newest service center in Lenexa. The company chose Lenexa for its new 24,000-sq.-ft. facility because of the central location and transportation infrastructure. The company will employ ten people and will do both fabrication and distribution of its products.

McQueeny Group Inc., has announced their new home in Overland Park, KS. The company will lease 10,000 sq ft of space and create 19 net new jobs for Kansas. McQueeny Group, Inc. is a manufacturer's representative for heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment serving western Missouri and the state of Kansas.

Mervis Railcar will establish a railcar refurbishing facility in Hutchinson. The company will invest approximately $35 million and hire 150 workers at the facility in the net three years. Mervis decided to locate its new facility in Hutchinson after a multistate search process. Mervis Railcar will provide industrial railcar refurbishing services to oil, fuel, agricultural and other rail using industries. The Hutchinson facility will be the only facility in the nation capable of receiving and servicing a unit train of 100 or more cars. The recent growth in oil and fuel transportation by rail has increased the need for maintenance services including cleaning, painting and welding repairs. The majority of the 150 positions created by Mervis will be filled by skilled welders, who will earn competitive wages and benefits packages. The establishment of the Hutchinson facility will include the construction of four buildings and more than 20,000 feet of railroad track. Based in Danville, Illinois, Mervis Industries is a family owned company that as founded more than 90 years ago and has grown into one of the largest recyclers in the industry.

Metal Panels Inc. (MPI), a manufacturer of metal panels and accessories for the metal roofing and metal building industry, will open a 35,000 square-foot manufacturing center in Kansas City, Kan. MPI anticipates bringing 23 new jobs to Kansas City over the next five years. Metal Panels’ facility will be located at 8341 Ruby Avenue. The new plant is designed to better serve and expand MPI’s seven-state customer base.

MGP Ingredients (MGPI), announced the expansion of plant operations to add 25 new jobs at its Atchison location over the next five years. The company plans an investment of $30 million to upgrade facilities and equipment in order to increase production capacity. MGPI produces naturally-derived specialty ingredients and alcohol products.

Michael Kuckelman, Stephen Torline, James Kirkland and Kathryn Lewis have formed a new civil litigation firm in Overland Park. The firm will lease 8,000 square feet and make $2.3 million in capital investment creating 14 new jobs in Overland Park. The firm represents clients in civil litigation throughout the Midwest and the United States.

Mid-Continent Instruments will build additional space onto its existing facility in Wichita, as well as hire at least 24 new employees over the next five years. The company has become an industry leader in the overhaul/exchange, repair, design and manufacture of aircraft instruments and avionics. The company currently employs 138 in Wichita and has additional operations in Van Nuys, Calif. The new space will add 5,100 square feet to the company's location in Wichita and the total capital investment in the project will be $2.7 million.

Midwest Manufacturing, a division of Menard, Inc., is planning on being the first company to locate in Lawrence Venture Park. Menard, Inc. is the third largest home improvement store chain in the United States by volume. Midwest Manufacturing operations include truss, concrete block, countertop, steel siding and roofing, and door manufacturing, among others. The proposal estimates that 100 jobs would be created by the project and would include a $25 million investment.

Midwest Veterinary Services will expand its operations and build the Veterinary and Biomedical Research Center (VBRC) in Kansas. A Nebraska based company, Midwest Veterinary Services will create 18 new jobs with an average salary of $65,000 and anticipates approximately $10,000,000 in new capital investment in Pottawatomie County. Construction has already begun on the new 20,000-square-foot facility, located along the Highway 24 corridor. There, the VBRC will design and conduct research that guides potential products through the FDA and USDA regulatory approval pathway for vaccine and pharmaceutical manufacturers.

Mile Hi Specialty Foods Co. has announced it will locate its new warehouse and distribution facility in Shawnee. The distribution company will lease approximately 32,000 square feet in the speculative WestLink Business Center at 23100 West 43rd Street and plans to create 29 new jobs during the three year period. Mile Hi Specialty Foods Co. is a privately owned warehouse and food distribution company. Both food and non-food products are distributed to Starbucks, Chipotle, noodles, Quiznos and Einstein's Bagels through three distribution centers located in Denver, Dallas and Kansas. Mile Hi services customers in 17 states and delivers freight and hamburger buns throughout the lower 48 states.

Millers Incorporated will expand its commercial digital printing operation in Pittsburg, Kansas by relocating an operation from Missouri and through additional growth in operations. The project is expected to create 30 new full-time positions and $2.2 million in new capital investment.

MIQ Logistics, announced it will remain in Overland Park, establishing its worldwide headquarters at the Sprint World Headquarters campus. MIQ Logistics has approximately 200 employees with plans to increase employment up to 500 employees within five years. Capital investment is estimated to be $20 million for its new office location. The move is scheduled for second quarter 2011. MIQ Logistics formerly was part of YRC Worldwide until the strategic purchase by private equity firm Austin Ventures in August 2010. MIQ Logistics is a global logistics company with offices in North America, Asia, Europe and South America. MIQ Logistics enables companies to improve their transportation network and overall supply chain efficiency by offering flexible logistics solutions supported by Web-native technology and global logistics management capabilities.

MJS Soda, will locate a new beverage manufacturing operation to Wichita, Kansas. This project is estimated to bring 100 jobs over five years, $4.0 million in payroll and $2.25 million in new capital investment. MJS Soda is a manufacturer of functional soft drinks designed to diminish anxiety and reduce stress.

Monoflo International is locating a new manufacturing operation to Ottawa, Kansas. Monoflo is a Virginia-based plastics manufacturing firm that produces pallets, totes, crates, and containers used in the warehouse to retail distribution network. The company will bring 61 jobs and almost $5.0 million in new investment to Ottawa. Monoflo has customers such as Ford Motor Company, Home Depot, Lowes, CVS, Aldi's and Costco. They will be expanding into the former Kennel Aire facility in Ottawa.

MPM Asset Management of Boston, MA will be establishing a new life sciences venture capital office in Kansas City, adjacent to the University of Kansas Medical Center. This new office will not only work with the Kansas Bioscience Authority to manage the KBA’s venture resources, but work with other emerging life science firms in the central U.S. on funding of promising processes and technologies. Ten people will be employed after 18 months.

Multiprens USA, Inc., a manufacturer of load restraint and load lock systems for the trucking industry will relocate its manufacturing operations to Kansas City, KS. The company will locate in 40,000 sq ft facility and employ 23 people.

Secure Passage LLC, a network security company, has announced their decision to relocate their Headquarters operations from Kansas City, MO to Overland Park, KS. The company will operate in a new 6,100 sq ft space for its growing company of 38 employees. The company also has offices on the East and West coasts and in the Southwest, and plans to expand globally in 2009.

Murphy-Hoffman Company, a heavy and medium duty truck dealer with more than 70 locations across the United States, announced it is moving its (corporate office/headquarters) to Leawood, Kansas. MHC employs over 2,400 employees, 30% of which are located in Missouri and Kansas. The company has enjoyed stable growth over the last three decades and had outgrown its space. MHC evaluated several options for additional space across the Kansas City metropolitan area, and found a facility in Leawood to be the best option for both the company and the approximately 100 employees being transitioned. The move will allow for continued growth and expansion for MHC.

MySmartPlans developed a construction management system being used extensively by top owners, general contractors, and architects in the U.S. and all around the world. MySmartPlans is currently moving into a new building in downtown Kansas City, Kansas to accommodate their growing company. The company will create 40 new jobs over the next five years and bring $1.25M in new capital investment to the state.

N. Glantz & Son, LLC, has announced their recent expansion and relocation to Kansas City, Kansas. The new warehouse features a welcoming will-call area, improved office systems, and increased inventory. “The expanded new location is a big improvement,” says Brandon Smith, Branch Manager. “We’ve been in Kansas City for over 30 years. Now, we can offer our customers even better product selection and service with our improved space.” Like all Glantz locations, the Kansas City branch is a fully stocked facility, offering a huge selection of Commercial, Electrical and Digital sign and graphics supplies. N. Glantz & Son, LLC, the largest full line sign supply wholesale distributor in North America, has been family owned and operated since 1906, with corporate offices in Louisville, KY.

National Seminars Group, has chosen to retain its location in Overland Park, Kansas. The company is one of the nation's leading providers of continuing education and employs over 160 people. The Kansas Department of Commerce worked with National Seminars Group to retain their company in Kansas.

NCO Group, Inc., an industry leader in business process outsourcing solutions, is expanding their Lenexa customer service center. The company will add a total of 725 full-time jobs plus 25 part-time positions over the next three years. Existing space will be reconfigured and an additional 55,000 sq. ft. will be leased. The new staff will handle a variety of projects, including support for the transition to digital television.

Necessary Oil, of Leawood, Kansas is establishing a new oil recycling facility in the southeast Kansas community of LaCygne. The company will create 30 new jobs when at full operation.

NetApp, a leading provider of innovative storage and data management solutions, announced that the company will significantly expand its Wichita facility. The company plans to nearly double its workforce in Wichita over the next five years by adding more than 400 new jobs to its existing workforce of more than 450 employees. NetApp expects to hire people for about 115 of the new jobs in the first year. The new jobs will primarily focus on the areas of product development and customer support.

Netsmart Technologies will establish its permanent headquarters in Overland Park after an extensive site search. Netsmart, a health care IT company, has plans to grow its employee count from the current 40 to 120 by the time it moves into its new headquarters. Company officials expect the employee base to grow to 500 over the next five years. The new 100,000-square-foot headquarters will allow employees and clients to collaborate on health care solutions and help people attain healthier lives.

Newell Rubbermaid will expand its manufacturing and distribution facility in Winfield, Kansas, adding 320 new jobs and investing $27 million by the end of 2017. the company's Winfield facility manufactures a number of Rubbermaid outdoor storage, outdoor living and home organization products, as well as insulated water coolers and ice chests. As part of the expansion during the next three years, the Winfield facility will increase manufacturing of popular Rubbermaid food storage products and add the manufacturing and distribution of select Rubbermaid Commercial Products solutions. Newell Rubbermaid has operated its facility in Kansas since 1986, which it acquired Gott manufacturing, which was founded in Winfield in 1916. The company has expanded its manufacturing capabilities and hired hundreds of workers in Winfield in recent years. in 2012, the company invested more than $26 million at the facility, adding the capacity to manufacture outdoor refuse and home organization products and constructing a new 500,000-square-foot distribution center.

Nolan Real Estate Services & KC Venture Group, LLC, has announced its move to Leawood, Kansas. Nolan Real Estate Services will occupy 7,716 rentable square feet of space in the office building known as the "20/20 Building". Nolan Real Estate Services is a Kansas City based real estate investment firm formed in 1982 that specializes in multifamily and hospitality property management, asset management and receivership services. KC Venture Group. LLC is the investment arm of Nolan Real Estate Services.

NorthPoint Development and NAI Capital Realty announced the execution of a long term lease with DEMDACO for a 326,650 square foot distribution center that will be custom built for the company at Logistics Park Kansas City (LPKC). DEMDACO, which specializes in artist-driven gift and home decor products, will create 40 new jobs at the facility over the next five years. DEMDACO will bring the total square footage under development at LPKC to more than 850,000 square feet.

Novita Therapeutics announced the move of its headquarters to MPM Capital's Heartland House in Kansas City, Kansas. Novita Therapeutics, LLC is a privately held biopharmaceutical and medical device company. The Kansas Department of Commerce worked in partnership with Wyandotte Economic Development Council and the Kansas Bioscience Authority.

Old World Spices & Seasonings, Inc., founded in 1988, is moving its corporate headquarters to Overland Park, KS. The company will relocate its existing 13 employees with plans to increase that number to 25 by the end of the fifth year of operation. Old World Spices & Seasonings, Inc. produces custom seasoning blends for the bakery, dairy, deli, meat, private label and food service industries. Laurie's Kitchen, the company's new branded line of gourmet mixes for the specialty food market, is the company's fastest-growing segment, providing brand penetration throughout the United States. The Kansas Department of Commerce worked with the Overland Park Economic Development Council to bring this business to Kansas.

OncImmune, an England-based biotech company specializing in early breast cancer detection, announced that it will locate its North American headquarters and a commercial lab in Lenexa, Kansas. The new facility will generate 120 jobs with an investment of $30 million. In addition, the company will partner with the University of Kansas on research projects.

Oppenheimer & Company, Inc., an investment bank and full-service investment firm providing financial services and advice will open a new office location in Leawood, KS. The firm will employ 55 in 15,000 sq ft of office space at Mission Farms in Leawood.

Package Development Corporation, a manufacturer and distributor of plastic products for the food industry has announced its decision to relocate operations to Kansas City, Kansas. The company, who is relocating from out-of-state plans on purchasing a 15,000 sq ft building to conduct operations. They will bring 20 new jobs to Kansas and $1M in new capital investment.

Palmer Manufacturing and Tank plans to expand its operations in Garden City. A manufacturer of steel and fiberglass tanks for companies in the oil and gas industry, Palmer anticipates creating more than 100 new jobs in Garden City during the next two years. The company will expand at its facility at 2814 West Jones Avenue.

Park Electrochemical Corporation, out of Melville, New York, has chosen Newton, KS for a new manufacturing location of pre-preg composite materials for the aviation industry. This new operation will have 60 employees in two years and a capital investment of $15M.

Parnell, an animal health company, will expand its headquarters and create 32 new jobs in Overland Park. The company offers pharmaceutical products and technology solutions to enhance the quality of life and performance of animals. Parnell, which located its global headquarters in Overland Park in 2012, plans to increase its number of employees in the U.S. to 95 during the next year. The company is investing heavily in the development of digital technology for animal owners and veterinarians and has seven new drugs in development. Parnell is a fully integrated pharmaceutical company focused on developing, manufacturing and commercializing innovative animal health solutions. Parnell currently markets five products for companion animals and production animals in 14 countries, and augments its pharmaceutical products with proprietary software platforms.

Peninsula Polymers, a specialty chemical distribution company, announced the relocation of the firm’s corporate headquarters to Leawood, Kan. At the new facility, Peninsula Polymers plans to create 10 new jobs over the next year. Peninsula Polymers is a distributor of specialty coatings raw materials and has been servicing customers in North America for over 20 years.

Pioneer Hi-bred, based in Ralston, IA, has chosen Lawrence, KS for a new bioscience lab for soybean research. The soybeans for the research will be grown in the Lawrence area.

Plastikon, a California-based contract manufacturer for the medical and healthcare industry, announced today that it will locate a new production facility in Lawrence, Kan., creating 126 jobs. Plastikon will purchase a 40,000-square foot biopharmaceutical production facility formerly occupied by Serologicals, Inc., in Lawrence’s East Hills Business Park. Plastikon will use the facility to produce a sterile fluid product for the medical and healthcare industry, investing more than $7 million in the project. Kansas continues to confirm its reputation as one of the nation’s leading states for bioscience industry development. In August, Business Facilities magazine ranked Kansas as the No. 5 state for bioscience industry development, citing the state’s “remarkable progress up the national biotech ladder” and its convening of “industry, higher education and government in a coordinated effort that has made Kansas a national center for animal health research, a leader in pharmaceuticals and an emerging player in bioenergy.

Popstar Networks located in Olathe, KS announced today the expansion of their current operations. Popstar Networks combines proprietary software, services and technical expertise to deliver highly relevant digital signage solutions across extensive customer networks, significantly improving traditional and digital marketing campaigns, merchandising and sales. The company plans on doubling their current employment base by adding an additional 38 jobs.

Posim, LLC, a Utah-based-company will expand its presence to Overland Park, Kansas. The new operation of Posim will support Business-to-Business software used by retailers, e-commerce, and mobile-commerce clients. The company will bring 23 jobs and $1.27 million to the state of Kansas.

PowderTech, LLC, has finalized plans to expand their existing Wichita, KS operations by 10 net new Kansas jobs over the next few years bringing the facility’s total workforce to 47. The company provides custom powder coating for industrial customers.

PQ Corporation, a leading producer of inorganic specialty performance chemicals and special custom catalysts, has announced that the company will invest $120 million to expand its manufacturing footprint at its Kansas City facility. PQ's investment will expand the already extensive equipment and manufacturing capacity for PQ's silica catalyst business and its Zeolyst International specialty catalyst operation. The expansion at its Kansas Avenue site is projected to add 40 to 50 additional new jobs to the 100 employees currently employed. Preliminary design and engineering work is already underway and the expansion and building project is schedule for completion by the end of 2015.

Premier Beverage, Inc., is consolidating two offices into a new Overland Park-based regional headquarters. Premier Beverage is a wholly owned subsidiary of Glazer's Distributors, on of the country's largest distributors of alcoholic beverages. In October, the company will move 122 administrative, sales, marketing and office employees from locations in Lenexa and Kansas City, Mo. Premier Beverage's new, 20,000-sq. ft regional headquarters will be located at 5200 Metcalf Avenue. The Dallas, Texas-based company, which distributes and markets wine and spirits in 12 states and generates more than $3 billion in annual revenue, will make a $2.7 million capital investment in the space.

Premiere Processing, of Chatsworth, California will locate a new metal processing manufacturing operation for the aviation industry to Wichita, Kansas. This new operation will create 100 new jobs, over $3.0M of new payroll and $3.8M of new capital investment. The Department of Commerce offered a forgivable loan, workforce training, income tax credits and sales tax exemptions to bring this new business to Kansas.

Quest Diagnostics will expand its presence in Lenexa and hire 500 workers for its Quest Diagnostics National Operations Center. The company's new operations facility will be located at 9601 Renner Boulevard. Quest Diagnostics is a leading provider of diagnostic information services. The company offers broad access to diagnostic information services through its network of laboratories and patient service centers, and provides interpretive consultation through its extensive medical and scientific staff.

Quidsi Logistics will open a 300,000 square foot E-commerce fulfillment center in Lenexa, Kansas. The company estimates the employment to be 360 jobs over five years. The capital investment at the new facility is projected to be approximately $12 million including the lease of the facility. Quidsi is one of the fastest growing e-commerce companies in the country. Quidsi owns and operates Diapers.com (baby care), Soap.com (health, beauty and household essentials),

Recovery Data Connect (RDC), recently opened up a new office in Overland Park, Kansas. RDC is an information company specializing in identifying subrogation opportunities. They partner with subrogation service providers to enhance their existing recovery process by identifying additional subrogation opportunities. The new office will employee 17 new employees and invest over 300K in capital.

RED Development has moved their offices to Overland Park, Kan. A full-service commercial real estate firm, RED Development will bring 18 jobs to Overland Park over the next five years. The company will locate at 7500 College Boulevard in Lighton Plaza. Founded in 1995, RED has a long history of developing successful retail properties across the country. Since 2008, RED has broadened its corporate strategy to include not only development, but also asset management and acquisitions to become a full-service real estate company. Over 40 percent of the company’s real estate is located in a wholly integrated commercial real estate company, RED maximizes asset value and performance for its high-quality retail and mixed-use portfolio that comprises 37 properties totaling more than 17 million square feet in 12 states. RED is a preferred partner for national retailers and investors, as well as for third-party property owners who turn to RED for its expertise in re-merchandising and repositioning properties to improve profitability and appeal.

Redbarn Pet Products, Inc., announced they will be moving their operations from Long Beach, California to Great Bend, Kansas in the building formerly occupied by Great Bend Packing. Redbarn manufactures premium pet foods and treats. Their products are carried by retailers across the U.S. Redbarn will eventually employ between 175 and 200 people at full production.

RedStone Logistics has announced its decision to locate operations in Overland Park, KS. RedStone Logistics is a unique, third-party logistics company specializing in Logistics Management Services, RedStone Logistics serves the full spectrum of the transportation element the supply chain: small package, less-than-truckload, truckload, expedited shipments, even air shipments. The company has plans to hire over 100 new jobs over the next several years. RedStone Logistics is a new company founded by industry veterans. Their leadership team has over 100 years of experience and helped clients save well over $200 million dollars throughout the years. They now bring their experience and expertise working with some of the largest corporations in the world, to the small and medium size enterprise.

RedStone Logistics, a third-party logistics provider specializing in logistics management services to small- and medium-sized businesses nationwide, will bring more than 100 jobs to Overland Park, Kan. in the next three years and invest more than $1 million in systems and support. The management team of RedStone Logistics is made up of industry veterans, with a combined 80 years of logistics expertise. Led by President and CEO Jim Ritchie, co-founder and former president and CEO of YRC Logistics, the RedStone leadership team has held a number of management and executive positions at industry-leading logistics companies. RedStone Logistics was created to help its clients compete more effectively by providing experienced professionals, industry-leading technology, and consolidated bargaining power. Specializing in logistics management services, RedStone Logistics serves the full spectrum of the transportation element of the supply chain: small package, less-than-truckload, truckload, expedited shipments, and air shipments.

Redwood Technology Solutions, Inc., has announced their decision to expand in Overland Park, KS. The company plans to expand operations by adding 39 new jobs over the next few years. Redwood Technology Solutions, Inc., provides technical and internet support services to small and medium sized companies. The company specializes in supplying a wide range of computer consulting and management of Customers’ entire IT infrastructure.

Rees Masilionis Turley Architecture, LLC is a mid-sized architecture firm that provides design services to the private sector within the United States and specializes in: commercial office design, corporate interiors design, retail design, mixed-use design, master planning, and green building design/LEED. They are relocating to an office location in Mission Woods, KS. The company will bring 23 new jobs to Kansas over the next five years and $2.0M of capital investment.

RiskAnalytics performs software development and cyber intelligence creation. RiskAnalytics is planning an expansion in Leawood, Kansas to bring an additional 216 jobs and $6.3 million in new investment to the state.

RiskIQ is based in San Francisco, CA and recently opened a new location in Shawnee, KS. The company develops web-based and mobile security platforms to detect online security threats for customers. The company will have 25 jobs in Kansas at the end of their expansion in two years and $650,000 in new capital investment.

RPS Financial and RPS Benefits, will expand operations to Park Place in Leawood, KS. RPS Financial Group and RPS Benefits, a subsidiary of Northwestern Mutual will occupy the top floor of the three-story building. The new facility will accommodate its wealth management, employee benefits and Northwestern Mutual operations.

S&S Activewear, a national promotional apparel wholesaler has leased 473,000 square feet of space in an Olathe Industrial Park where it plans to create 200 new jobs. The I-35 Logistics Park facility will house shipping and receiving functions for S&S.

S&W Waterproofing is relocating from Missouri to Lenexa, KS. They are a commercial contractor specializing in waterproofing, vehicular traffic coatings, epoxy sealants at correctional facilities, masonry and concrete restoration. They work with major contractors in the Kansas City region. The company plans to bring 22 jobs to Kansas over a five-year period and lease 18,000 square feet for new capital investment of $3.0 million.

Sampson Dental an immediate-care provider of dental services will expand their corporate headquarters operations to Overland Park, KS. The company plans to locate into a 3,000 sq ft office facility and will employ 45 people. Sampson Dental has various locations throughout the Midwest and plans for future growth nationwide.

Sara Lee Corporation, announced that it will open a new, state-of-the-art sliced meat manufacturing facility in Kansas City, at 4612 Speaker Road, which will become fully operational by 2011. The plant is expected to employ more than 250 people. Sara Lee will invest more than $130 million in the 187,000 square foot facility, which will provide the scale to develop industry-leading technological processes and give Sara Lee the capacity for long-term growth in the meat business. The Kansas Department of Commerce worked in partnership with Wyandotte Economic Development Council and the Unified Government of Wyandotte County to make this a success for Kansas.

Scavuzzo Food Services relocated their warehousing, distribution and processing operations to Kansas City, KS. The company provides meats and other food projects to restaurant and hotel customers in 12 different states. The company plans to create 80 jobs over a 5 year period and over $3M of new capital investment.

Schier Products, a company that produces plastic molding fixtures for the plumbing industry, will be locating a new manufacturing facility in Wyandotte County. Schier Products will create 27 new jobs and invest $2.4M in capital over a 5 year period. Since 1972 Schier Products has been pioneering drain line purity for the plumbing and wastewater industries. Mike Ismert, President, Schier Products, stated that he chose to locate his new facility at 9500 Woodend Road in Edwardsville, Kansas because of the “ property tax abatement by the City and Wyandotte County, as well as other incentive programs offered by the Kansas Department of Commerce (HPIP, PEAK, Sales Tax exemption, job training)”. The location and space at the existing facility were also factors in his decision. Schier Products is expected to be operational by the end of July 2010.

Schier Products, is expanding it operations into Edwardsville, Kansas. This new operation will create 27 new jobs in Kansas and . Schier Products plans to lease a 45,000 sq. ft facility an invest 2.4 M of capital into the community. Schier Products' mission is to help keep America's sewer lines flowing free of unwanted chemicals, liquids or solid waste. Schier Products include the design and manufacturing of grease interceptors, oil and solid waste separators and chemical waste tanks. Schier Products, established in 1972, is a family owned company. They are proud to design and manufacture products in New Berlin, Wisconsin & Edwardsville, Kansas, USA.

Sealy Mattress Company, the largest bedding manufacturer in North America and longtime Wyandotte County manufacturer, Sealy Mattress Company has announced plans to continue producing their world-famous mattresses in Kansas. Sealy will move its local operations to 435 Riverpark in July, 2010, securing in excess of 100 manufacturing jobs for the county. This decision will also bring close to $7.0 million in capital investment to Kansas. Sealy manufactures and markets a broad range of mattresses and foundations under the Sealy®, Sealy Posturepedic®, Stearns & Foster® and Bassett® brands. The company has the largest market share, with sales of $1.5 billion in fiscal 2008, and highest consumer awareness of any bedding brand in North America.

Selas Heat Technology Company LLC has completed the purchase of Webster Engineering and Manufacturing Co. LLC based in Winfield. As a result of the acquisition, Webster will retain its nearly 60 positions in Wingiled. Webster is a designer, manufacturer and marketer of custom and semi-custom multi-fuel boiler burners for the commercial, institutional and industrial markets. The company's burners provide the heat source for the transformation of water to potable hot water, hot water for heating, and steam for heating and process applications. Webster's most recent innovation senses combustion air temperature and automatically controls the fan speed to create a constant air flow mass for combustion.

Selective Site Consultants (SSC), has announced they will expand their Overland Park, KS location. The firm will build upon their current employment base of 54 by adding 39 net new jobs. SSC provides site acquisition, engineering, construction, and project management services and is a leading provider of services to the telecommunications, development, and construction industries. They offer a wide range of site acquisition services such as search area review, lease preparation, zoning and permitting, design, and construction. SSC is currently developing leading edge solutions in renewable energy and infrastructure security. Today, the firm employs over eighty people in six key markets: Kansas City, St. Louis, Omaha, Minneapolis, Houston, and Denver and maintains its headquarters in Overland Park, KS.

Sergeant's Pet Care Products Inc., has announced their recent location to Kansas City, Kansas. The company will employ a total of 60 full-time jobs plus 4 part-time positions over the next five years. Sergeant's will produce pet treats, including its SteakHouse, Sniffers and DentaFresh products at the 80,000 sq ft facility. Sergeant's is based in Omaha, NE and was founded in 1868. The Kansas Department of Commerce worked in partnership with Wyandotte Economic Development Council and the Unified Government of Wyandotte County to make this a success for Kansas.

ServiceLink, a mortgage loan processing company, is set to expand operations to Overland Park and will bring 130 jobs with it and make a $2.85 million capital investment. The company, based in Coraopolis, Pa., near Pittsburgh, will lease 30,000-square-feet of space at 4400 College Blvd. ServiceLink is a subsidiary of Fidelity National Financial. ServiceLink also has a presence in Olathe, and that operation will remain.

SH3, is a language translation company that works to translate documents in over 30 languages. They specialize in the translation of documents for industrial machinery applications, human resource or training manuals, and pharmaceutical and biomedical communications. They are a new business to Kansas and will bring 22 new jobs and almost $2.0M in new investment to Overland Park, Kansas.

Shamrock Trading Corp. will purchase of the Glenwood Place office buildings in Overland Park, Kan. Soon to be named the “Shamrock Towers,” the two buildings totaling 270,000 square feet will undergo extensive renovations over the coming months in preparation for an expansion of the company’s campus. Shamrock Trading plans to expand the company by 400 employees over the next five years. The capital investment planned for the project is estimated at over $15 million. Shamrock Trading Corp. is a privately-held company with business interests in real estate, transportation, and financial services.

Shannahan Crane & Hoist has announced its newest location in Edwardsville, KS. Shannahan Crane & Hoist is the leading designer, manufacturer, distributor and service center for overhead material handling equipment in the Midwest. In business since 1961, they have offices in Missouri, Oklahoma and Kansas. The company plans on creating 12 net new jobs at their location. The Kansas Department of Commerce worked in partnership with Wyandotte County Economic Development in the attraction of this company.

Siemens Energy, has selected Hutchinson as the site of a new wind turbine equipment production facility, state and company officials announced today. The operation is expected to create an estimated 400 green-collar jobs and will be the first large-scale wind turbine equipment factory in Kansas, which is ranked third in the nation for wind energy resource potential. The 300,000-square-foot facility and adjacent 80,000-square-foot service and repair facility will be built on more than 100 acres in Reno County, which is located northwest of Wichita on the Arkansas River. Construction is expected to begin in August.

Simmons Pet Food Inc. has announced that it will expand its Emporia pet food processing complex and have a new canning line operating in the fourth quarter of 2014. The expansion will initially create more than 50 new jobs, with the possibility of reaching more than 80 new positions when the line capacity is filled. Simmons Pet Food is a leading supplier of custom and private label pet food solutions in the U.S. and Canada. Its new line will increase the processing capabilities of the company's Emporia facility by more than 240 million cans per year.

Sizewise Worldwide relocated its headquarters to Lenexa, Kan. The global medical equipment manufacturer has more than 20 years of experience engineering innovative products to meet the needs of bariatric, geriatric, pediatric and standard patient populations, worldwide. The company has 238 Kansas employees and now has two Kansas locations, with one of its largest manufacturing facilities based in Hays. Sizewise manufactures and markets products for pediatrics and continues to serve its initial target market, creating beds for bariatric patients. They have also expanded to include med-surg beds, behavioral health beds, mobility products and more.

SKC Communication Products, Inc. (SKC) will expand operations at their Shawnee, Kansas facility. The company, which currently employs over 120 people, will add an additional 50 jobs over the course of several years. SKC provides technology solutions that enable its clients to better collaborate, communicate and connect with their key stakeholders - any time and any place. They focus on ensuring clients have the right communications technology to achieve their business goals now, and in the future. SKC is a privately held corporation headquartered in Shawnee, Kansas.

Smarter Agent, Inc., has established their first regional office in Overland Park, where they will conduct both software development and marketing. Smarter Agent has innovative wireless technology for providing information on available homes or rentals to interested parties on their cell phones. The company was attracted to Overland Park by available talent formerly associated with Sprint / Nextel. While they initially expect to employ five, future growth should bring additional jobs.

Smith Haynes & Watson, LLC announced that they will expand operations at their Mission, KS location. The receivables management company will add 80 net new jobs to their current 46 employee location.

SOMARK Innovations, out of St. Louis, MO, will bring its national research and development operations to Prairie Village, KS. SOMARK will develop the company’s food safety identification technology at this new Kansas worksite. The Kansas City Animal Health Corridor played a part in the company choosing Kansas for its business along with the region’s central access to the rest of the U.S.

Spartech Corporation, a leading producer of plastic sheet, compounds, and packaging products, will expand its current facility in Wichita, Kansas. Spartech has multiple facilities throughout the United States, as well as in Canada, Mexico and France. The company plans to expand its existing 60,000 square foot facility in Wichita and relocate equipment for a combined investment of more than $4 million. The expansion will add 10,000 square foot of production space and keep 75 existing jobs while adding 18 new jobs over the next two years. The expansion is expected to be completed by June of this year.

Specialty Fertilizer Products, LLC, a distributor and producer of fertilizer additives and polymers will relocate their headquarters to Park Place in Leawood, KS. The company will house 30 employees at the new Kansas location.

Spectra Composites, a Missouri-based distributor of composite materials for various industries, has purchased a new distribution and warehousing facility in Columbus, Kan., creating nine new jobs and $1,650,770 in capital and operational investment. The 20,000 square-foot facility, located at 202 S. Minnesota, gives the company better access to customers in Kansas and throughout the Midwest. The facility is expected to be operational by August 2010.

Spirit AeroSystems, Inc. will establish a manufacturing facility in Chanute, Kan., to support sub-assembly work on underwing aircraft components as part of a multi-phased project. Establishment of the Chanute site will help address capacity needs driven by previously-announced record rate increases for many Spirit core programs. Spirit's Chanute facility is the latest expansion in its network of global operations spanning from North America to Europe and Asia. New employees will concentrate on light sub-assembly work for the 737 currently being performed in Wichita. The move will allow the Wichita workforce to concentrate on other complex projects to meet increasing production rates on multiple programs. After completion of site preparations, Spirit will begin hiring with a goal of 35 employees working at the Chanute site by the end of 2012. Measured hiring is projected to continue for several more years with total employment estimated to reach 125-150. Based in Wichita, Kan., Spirit AeroSystems is the world's largest independent supplier of commercial airplane assemblies and components.

Sports Associated Inc. (SAI), a subsidiary of parent company GMJ Co, Inc, is anticipating a move into their new home at 4600 Kansas Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas by the end of the month. SAI is a carrier company that is known throughout for its expertise in transportation, warehousing and trade shows for a wide variety of power sport vehicles, electronic equipment suppliers and other companies with materials or machinery that requires specialty transportation. The tremendous growth experienced by the company in recent years is what drove GMJ to seek a new location for SAI’s primary headquarters, which will also serve as the corporate headquarters for GMJ. The investment tally for bringing both entities into the county means nearly $12 million in capital investment and an estimated 100 jobs. The Department of Commerce offered a forgivable loan, workforce training, tax credits and sales tax exemptions to bring this company to Kansas.

Spring Credit Solutions, LLC a consumer debt relief company will open a new office in Prairie Village, KS. The company worked closely with the Kansas Department of Commerce when selecting their new location. The company estimates they will create 31 net new Kansas jobs.

SPV Coach Company and Southwest Professional Vehicles, has chosen Kansas City, KS as their new manufacturing and headquarters location. SPV Coach Company specializes in the manufacturing of custom-built Cadillac limousines for the funeral home industry as well as the rebuilding of funeral coaches and limousines damaged in accidents. SPV is recognized as a “Cadillac Master Coachbuilders” and holds the distinction of being one of the only company’s in the world that specialize in this type of work. Southwest Professional Vehicles is the largest distributor of luxury limos to funeral homes in the country will move its headquarters from Dallas, TX to a 45,000 sq ft facility at 10th and Central Avenue which it will share with SPV. In total the two companies will employ 33 new full-time jobs and 5 part-time when fully operational. The Kansas Department of Commerce worked in partnership with Wyandotte Economic Development Council and the Unified Government of Wyandotte County to make this a success for Kansas.

Staples Promotional Products will keep its main office in Overland Park. The company plans to add up to several dozen jobs at the office over the next five years. Overland Park will remain the location for the primary administrative offices for Staples Promotional Products, the largest promotional product distributor in North America and a business division of Staples Advantage. Between its Staples Promotional Products and Staples Advantage offices, the company employs hundreds in Kansas and anticipates several million in capital investment in Overland Park over the next five years.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. will open a new Customer Contact Center in Wichita, Kan. in late 2013. The new center’s associates will help Starwood guests book reservations and provide Starwood Preferred Guest member services. The center’s inaugural class will include approximately 180 positions. Starwood plans to significantly expand the center over the next five years and hire up to 750 more employees in Wichita for a total of more than 900 new jobs. Starwood also anticipates nearly $5 million in capital investment at the new center.

StoreFinancial, headquartered in Overland Park, KS announced that it plans to expand operations at their current location. StoreFinancial will double their employment adding another 70 jobs. The company will also invest $6 million in new capital expenditures. StoreFinancial is an international payment systems processor, program manager, and an industry leader in prepaid card programs specifically designed for unaffiliated merchant groups. Currently, StoreFinancial provides specialty prepaid solutions to more than 380 clients around the globe.

Suhor Industries, headquartered in Overland Park, KS announced an expansion of their operations which will add an additional 10 new jobs over the next two years. Suhor Industries is a precast concrete manufacturer and service provider to the funeral service, building trades and agricultural market places. Suhor Industries operations include manufacturing plants, warehouses, monument production facilities, a casket manufacturing plant and nine crematories across the United States.

Sunflower Vegetable Oil, Inc. will open a new facility in Lenexa, KS for its manufacturing, bottling and packaging of liquid food products for sale in over 25 states. The company is planning on hiring 19 employees for its Kansas location.

Telamon Corporation will open an office in Kansas City, Kan. Telamon, which specializes in solutions for telecommunications, business transactions, energy, assembly and logistics for medical material, will create 28 jobs in the state over the next five years and make a capital investment exceeding $500,000. Telamon, an Indiana-based company, is a minority-owned business.

Teva announced that it would relocate its headquarters and operations to Overland Park. The subsidiary of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries will invest $71 million overall to build a new 154,000-square-foot facility at the corner of Nall Avenue and College Boulevard. The company plans to have 400 employees working at the site initially with 200 additional jobs planned for future growth. The jobs include sales and marketing, patient services and support, information technology, finance, personnel and legal.

The D.H. Pace Company, Inc. will locate its corporate headquarters and other operations in Olathe, Kan. The residential and commercial door company plans to bring over 280 jobs to Kansas over the next five years as a result of the move. D.H. Pace provides sales, installation and repair service of all types of commercial and residential doors and door related products in the United States and Canada, operating several Overhead Door Company distributorships as well as its own D.H. Pace Door Services brand. The company headquarters and local business operations will reside at its new location in Olathe, Kan. D.H. Pace places to make a capital investment of $14 million at the new facility over the next five years.

The Golf Warehouse, will expand its operations in Wichita, Kan.. The company, a division of Redcats, plans to hire an additional 24 full-time employees during 2011 and anticipates hiring 105 full-time workers over the next five years. Product fulfillment will transition to Wichita from Indianapolis by the end of August. The consolidation of the company's golf, baseball, softball and soccer merchandise into one location will eliminate orders being shipped from two locations and improve customer service.

The Miller Group, one of Kansas City's largest locally owned, full-service insurance and employee benefit firms, announced that it will move its headquarters to 6363 College Boulevard, Overland Park. Leased space in the new facility will be almost double that of The Miller Group's current space. In the larger facility, the company expects to create 80 jobs during the next five years. Its new facility enables a significant increase in staff, provides for increased technological capabilities and addresses the firm's need for client meetings and trainings that occur regularly throughout the year.

The Triumph Group, based in Wayne, Pennsylvania, will be expanding their Wichita, Kansas operation. The company will invest $11.8 million and create 90 new jobs at its aircraft component manufacturing facility.

The Coleman Company Inc., the Wichita-based manufacturer of outdoor recreation gear will locate a 1.1 million-square-foot distribution center in the Midwest Commerce Center in Gardner, Kansas. The company will be one of the first to benefit from the new BNSF Railway Co. intermodal facility currently in development. The new facility is set to begin operations by the third quarter of 2009. The project will create over 100 jobs and $43 million in capital investment for Kansas. The Coleman Company, founded over 100 years ago in Kansas, is adding 55 new administrative jobs at their Wichita headquarters after merging with their Stearns, Inc. subsidiary of MN. The positions will include product engineering, design engineering and sales / marketing activities. The company will move existing staff or hire new employees within the first year.

The Greensburg Wind Farm, which will consist of 10 1.25 MW wind turbines, will be built jointly by John Deere Renewables, Kansas Power Pool and the city of Greensburg, which is using a green rebuilding initiative as it puts the pieces back together. The wind farm is planned to begin commercial production in 2010. Kansas Power Pool, a municipal energy agency to which Greensburg belongs, will purchase electrical output from the wind farm. When the project becomes operational, Greensburg will be able to supply 100% of the city’s homes and businesses with a clean, green energy source. NativeEnergy Inc., a leader in climate solutions services, will be the exclusive marketer of renewable energy certificates (RECs) from the wind farm, purchasing about two-thirds of the wind farm's expected REC output over 20 years and providing critical revenues to enable project financing.

The Home Depot, the world’s largest home improvement retailer, will build a 465,500 square foot distribution center in Topeka, Kan., creating several hundred jobs over the next few years. The site is expected to have a total capital investment of more than $20 million, shared between the developer and the company. The jobs created at this new facility will generate approximately $11 million in total direct salaries annually. The Topeka distribution center is one of 20 facilities the company is building nationwide. The new Rapid Deployment Center will help improve service and increase efficiency at the company’s retail locations throughout the area. This site is part of a larger program at The Home Depot to improve its supply chain; making it easier for stores to keep the right products in stock when customers need them.

The Katz Law Firm, will relocate their operation to Overland Park, Kansas. The Katz Law Firm started in 2000 but Rick Katz, the owner of the company, has been practicing real estate law since 1975. Rick has over 20 years of experience in Power Centers and has extensive track record in Lifestyle Shopping Center development. The company is well known in the real estate industry as retail real estate attorney “deal doers” who routinely complete acquisitions and development, financing, landlord representation and other construction matters.

The Salina Airport Authority board of directors approved the lease of 15,000 square feet of space once occupied by Hawker Beechcraft Corp. to Universal Forest Products, Inc. for $3,750 per month. The company, headquartered in Grand Rapids, Mich., manufactures and markets wood and wood alternative products for DIY and retail home centers and other retailers, structural lumber products for the manufactured housing industry, engineered wood components for various industries and forming products for concrete construction.

The UPG division of Johnson Controls announced its plans to relocate work from its Norman, Okla., plant to its facilities in Wichita. The move would involve moving three existing assembly lines that produce packaged residential air conditioning and heating products. The move will allow the company to optimize and improve the assembly lines currently located in Norman and allow it to utilize its fabrication capacity currently located in Wichita. Management further added that in recent years the workforce in Wichita has shown significant improvement in productivity, cost and safety metrics, and attributed that improvement, along with incentives being offered by the state, city and county as key factors in the decision to relocate this part of the business to Wichita. Johnson Controls plans to add about 180 jobs within the next year at its production facility in Wichita. Current Johnson Controls employment in Wichita is about 990. The move will also relocate equipment from Oklahoma, and Johnson Controls expects to invest about $2.6 million in new capital for purchase of equipment and relocation and acquisition costs for relocated equipment.

Tindall Corporation, a family-owned manufacturer of sophisticated precast concrete products, has selected Newton, Kansas for the location of their new plant to produce Atlas CTB wind tower bases. These pre-cast bases allow wind turbines to be elevated an extra 30 meters, generating greater and more consistent wind power. The company will begin construction in late 2010 and will employ over 400 persons.

TM Track Machines has opened a railcar repair shop and tamper manufacturing facility in Parsons. At the facility, TM Track plans to create 75 jobs during the next five years. TM Track Machines is a startup company that was formed by Terry Peterson and Mike Williams. The company purchased an existing railcar repair facility in Parsons that had closed in 2013. The operations are located at 901 North 25th Street.

Tortoise Capital, an investment management firm, will retain and expand its business in Kansas. They will relocate operations to Leawood, Kansas and lease space in the Park Place Development. Expansion plans will accommodate current business and planned growth. Tortoise Capital provides investment management services to individuals and institutional investors. They manage four publicly traded closed end funds, select privately held funds and separately managed accounts.

TradeNet Publishing, Inc. has announced plans to expand operations at their Gardner, KS facility by adding an additional 14 net new jobs to their current employment base of 110. TradeNet Publishing, Inc. began in 1986 in the Iowa home of its President and CEO, Tom Mertz. In 1992, they moved to their current location in Gardner, Kansas just off I-35 and Hwy. 56. TradeNet has grown rapidly into a major national supplier of erasable boards and refrigerator magnets that are used in specialty advertising. TradeNet’s sales of their new laminated direct mail pieces product line has grown significantly. TradeNet has introduced other new products to their line such as hand fans, cookbooks and sticky pads. TradeNet has continued its proven excellence by being recognized by ASI as a Distributor's Choice award winner for 2009. TradeNet is also a six-time PPAI Star Supplier winner including 2008 and a seven-time PPAI Supplier Web award winner.

Trimac Industries, is a contract manufacturer of washers and ovens. The company is relocating from out-of-state and leasing a facility in Bonner Springs, KS. They will bring 25 new jobs to Kansas and $1.2M in new capital investment in this new operation for the company.

Triumph Accessory Services, Aircraft and Engine accessories MRO of Wellington, Kansas will undergo a $780,000 expansion of its facility creating up to 22 new positions, officials announced today. The company plans to add 7,200 square feet of production space to its facility, located at 411 North West Road. The expansion will support increased production of the company’s heat transfer products, which are used in regional and commercial aircrafts. The relocation was facilitated by the Kansas Department of Commerce, with additional logistical assistance from Sumner County Economic Development Commission.

TruHome Solutions LLC, a national provider of credit union mortgage services, selected Lenexa as the location of its new operations center. After opening the new location, TruHome plans to hire 276 employees. The company also anticipates adding 136 employees at its administration center, located at 9777 Ridge Drive in Lenexa. TruHome plans to move all operations to the new location, including loan originators, processors, underwriters, closers and operations assistance.

TSI Engineering, will be relocating their offices to Kansas City, KS. TSI Engineering is a specialized engineering consulting firm formed in 1989 and headquartered in St. Louis, MO. The firm’s primary clients include the City of Kansas City, Black & Veatch, Burns & McDonnell and several other consultant firms. The company will relocate 20 jobs to the new Kansas City, KS office.

U.S. Bank, plans to bring more than 1,100 new jobs starting in the second quarter of 2010 when U.S. Bank will open a new Service Center in Overland Park. The U.S. Bank Service Center in Overland Park will be one of the bank’s largest service centers. U.S. Bank currently has service centers located in Cincinnati; Coeur d’Alene, Idaho; Denver; Fargo, N.D.; Milwaukee; Portland, Ore.; St. Louis; and St. Paul, Minn. The hiring of new U. S. Bank employees for the new service center is planned to begin by the end of the second quarter of 2010. Additional new U.S. Bank employees completing various functions supporting numerous products will continue to be added throughout the remainder of the year. The new employees will be joined by 130 U.S. Bank Multi-Service Aviation employees who currently work at another location in Overland Park. Continued employment growth is projected to continue in the service center over the next four years or throughout 2013. A total of 1,300 U.S. Bank employees will work inside the five-story, 185,178 square-foot service center. U.S. Bank will be the only company to occupy the building.

Unilever will make a $152.5 million investment at its New Century spreads manufacturing facility in Johnson County, which includes an expansion as well as purchase of new machinery and equipment. Unilever currently employs more than 150 people in Johnson County and expects to create 100 new jobs as a result of the expansion. Unilever's spreads manufacturing facility is located at the New Century AirCenter at 27080 West 159th Street, New Century.

UniMed II, has announced they will consolidate office operations to a new home in Kansas City, KS. For more than 25 years UniMed has been a leader in providing quality home health care equipment backed by unprecedented service. As a family owned company, they are dedicated to providing home medical equipment and services to our communities. The company’s new location will house 33 employees.

United Healthcare Services, Inc./Prescription Solutions, based in Minnetonka, Minnesota, is expanding its Overland Park, Kansas pharmaceutical customer service and distribution center. The company will be investing $25.6 million and adding 1,150 new jobs to its current 850 employee operation.

United Rotary Brush, based in Lenexa, KS will expand their manufacturing operations by an additional 15 employees bring the total employment at the Kansas location to 59. United Rotary Brush is a manufacturer of road and runway rotary brooms and engineered brush products.

UpWind Solutions plans $2.1M Faciltiy in Kansas City area, UpWind Solutions Inc., an Oregon company that works with wind energy firms, will open a $2.1 million parts and tooling center in Lenexa, Kan. UpWind will lease more than 18,700 square feet, creating seven new jobs during the next three years. The distribution facility will house spare parts for various wind turbine technologies, as well as an engineering center for components such as gearboxes, generators, blades and transformers.

US Bank, is constructing a new data center facility in Olathe, KS. The project location was assisted by CB Richard Ellis out of Newport Beach, CA. The new operation will bring approximately 46 new employees to Kansas, along with $100M of new capital investment.

USA800, a multi-channel support call center will open a new 20,000 square foot facility in Lawrence. The company plans to create 333 new jobs at the facility and invest more than $3.5 million. USA800 evaluated multiple Midwest markets before selecting its new home in Lawrence. The company favored the Lawrence location based on operational requirements being met in the existing structure, and the quality talent pool.

Valent Aerostructures which manufactures and supplies complex structural components and major sub-assemblies for leading airframe manufacturers in the commercial aerospace, military fixed wing, rotorcraft, missile/ground support and general aviation industries and announced that it will expand its operations in Fredonia, Kan. The company, which currently employs 55 associates, will break ground immediately on a new 50,000-square-foot building scheduled to be completed by March 2012. Valent will also be making a significant capital investment in machinery and will be increasing the current employee base by 45 associates over the next few years.

Valmont Coatings has announced the purchase of an existing facility in Salina, KS. The company will galvanize steel out of the Salina location for its customers located nationwide. The facility will have 40 employees.

Valued Veterans plans to expand their company by adding 30 additional jobs at their location in Overland Park Kansas, Valued Veterans is a service disabled veteran owned business. Valued Veterans provides professional Residential and Commercial Appraisal Services. With an intense focus on customized personal service, Valued Veterans uses cutting-edge technology to effectively manage every product order from start to finish. Our experienced management team is made up of appraisers and former mortgage industry professionals with over 120 years of combined residential real estate experience.

Virtus is a property, casualty commercial insurance brokerage firm. They recently relocated within the state to a new office space to accommodate their growth. The company plans on adding 25 jobs over the next five years to their current base of six employees and $600,000 in new capital investment.

Volvo Aero Services Corp., a leading provider of aftermarket services in the aviation industry, will open a new distribution and warehouse facility in Winfield, Kan., creating at least four new jobs and $1.67 million in capital investment. The new facility comprises 48,000 square feet in the former Binney & Smith building and gives Florida-based Volvo Aero Services better access to its Wichita aviation customers. Volvo Aero Services offers a range of services based on its competence in asset management, logistics and leasing of aircraft engines as well as engine and aircraft components. Volvo Aero Services is also the exclusive distributor of select material for Embraer, Hamilton Sundstrand, Honeywell and The Boeing Company.

Wachter, Inc., announced plans for an expansion in at their Lenexa, Kansas location. The company will increase employment by adding an additional 49 jobs to their current workforce of almost 100. Wachter, Inc., was founded in 1930 by William Wachter and over the years Wachter, Inc. expanded their services to include building automation systems and specializing in voice and data cabling from system design and integration to fiber optic and copper installation. Wachter, Inc. has completed projects for companies such as Union Pacific Railroad Diesel Repair Facility, Johnson County Water District No. 1 and Shawnee Mission School District.

Western Blue Print Company, announced plans to relocate its primary operations to Cambridge Business Park in Kansas City, Kan. The move will double Western Blue’s existing space and boost production capacity at a time when many companies are contracting. The Kansas Department of Commerce worked in partnership with Wyandotte Economic Development Council to make this project a success.

Westrope General Agency, the 7th largest commercial wholesale insurance brokerage firm in the U.S. announced plans to locate into a new 5,500 sq ft office in Overland Park, KS. The firm offers a broad knowledge of retail and wholesale brokerage and insurance and reinsurance company underwriting. Along with brokers specializing in property, casualty, transportation, construction, executive liability, agribusiness, workers' compensation, healthcare and claims services. The company will have an office of 26 employees and invest over $1M in capital at the new worksite.

WORLDPAC announced that it will be adding 5 jobs at its current Shawnee, KS facility. WORLDPAC imports and distributes original equipment (OE) and quality aftermarket replacement automotive parts for the independent service professional. Utilizing sophisticated automation and software systems, most orders are processed within a few minutes to ensure consistent and timely deliveries.

Wurth Service Supply will open a logistics and distribution center in Wichita, joining a growing number of companies in the wind energy sector that have selected sites in the Sunflower State for new facilities. Wurth joins Siemens Energy, AH Industries, Prysmian/Draka, Jupiter Group and Tindall Corp. as major players in manufacturing wind turbines or the associated parts. The Wichita location of Wurth Service Supply, an affiliate of the Würth Group of Germany, will provide a key regional location for the company to distribute components for wind turbines, as well as provide other services to customers in the region. The company has leased space at 3002 West Pawnee and will create 10 new jobs.

Xenometrics LLC, has announced their expansion in Stillwell, KS. The company will expand their operations into an existing facility and will grow to over 80 employees. Xenometrics LLC, is a non-clinical contract laboratory focused in the areas of safety pharmacology, ADME, toxicological testing and discovery support services.

Xpedx will relocate to Edwardsville, Kan. and bring 180 employees to a new facility. The Edwardsville City Council voted to approve an application for industrial revenue bonds paving the way for Xpedx’s request to build a 280,000-square-foot distribution facility, which includes 30,000 square feet of office space in Edwardsville. This will be among the first mega distribution facilities built by the company. The capital investment for the project is in excess of $11.9 million. Edwardsville was chosen as the new location because of highway access, existing utilities, speed to market and incentives. Xpedx is a $7 billion premier distribution business of International Paper, a $25 billion global company headquartered in Memphis, Tenn.

YRC Freight announced that by the end 2012 it will relocate 120 positions to its headquarters in Overland Park. The move will consolidate operations within its YRC Freight division from a number of facilities outside of Kansas. The positions moving to Kansas will include accounting functions – payroll, pricing, accounts payable and analyst positions – as well as customer service representatives and cargo claim teams. The consolidation is part of the company’s continued emphasis on customer service. YRC Freight delivers approximately 50,000 shipments a day and serves thousands of small and large businesses in Kansas and more than 200,000 customers in North America.

Zell-Metall USA announced that it will expand operations to Lenexa, building a plastic extrusion manufacturing facility and eventually creating 15 new jobs in the community. The company will build a 10,000-square-foot building and invest at least $3.5 million in operations there. The building will be located next to ZL Engineering Plastics, which provides sales services for Zell-Metall and employs six. The company, which is headquartered in Austria, produces sheet, rod and tube from plastic resins such as pet and nylon. Most of the materials produced replace metal gears, cams, bushings and many other alloy parts. Plastic parts help prevent corrosion and noise, as well as extend the life of equipment.

Zumiez Inc., a leading specialty retailer of action sports related apparel, footwear, equipment and accessories, announced that the company will move its e-commerce fulfillment operations from its headquarters in Everett, Wash., to Edwardsville, Kan. The move is set for May 2012 and will accommodate the company’s growing online business and will increase the speed of product deliveries to online customers. The company is expected to create up to 100 new jobs.